Give Yourself A Taste Of Happiness
Posted by: Stephanie Price on: July 9, 2009
Sometimes, I lose the motivation to reach for happiness. Being borderline involves depression which can sometimes be evasive and downright overwhelming. I can become so accustomed to this negative interior environment that I feel the effort needed to create more happiness in my life simply isn’t worth it. I may feel unworthy, incapable, or even unwilling to take the steps needed to create more joy and satisfaction in my life.
Today, I began taking my herbal anti-depressants again and engaging in my self help exercises and ,wow, what a change! I switched off the aggressive music and listened to some more upbeat tunes. Sometimes we forget how good happiness feels and our craving for it can fade, leaving us complacent. Sometimes, what a persons needs to get back their zeal and desire to take care of themselves is a taste of how good it really feels to live better. We can get stuck in a comfort or, in this case, discomfort zone and the effort to create happiness simple doesn’t seem worth it.
But, once you see how good it really feels to be happy, your desire to return to that state of joy will be renewed. This can be a great way to motivate yourself to take better care of yourself. Simple things, like taking a hot bath or enjoying a smoothie on the beach can be enough to cheer you up. If you were doing self-help or therapeutic activities, why not start doing them again? And, most of all, be gentle on yourself- long-lasting change is possible, one step at a time. Avoid extremes, as they just perpetuate the cycle of instability. Enjoy the ride!
4 Responses to "Give Yourself A Taste Of Happiness"
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July 10, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Stephanie,
Hi. I misread the author of this blog when I posted my comment on your columnist page. I find it upsetting that there is so much misinformation about BPD out there. I am an advocate and educator for families (especially partners) of people with BPD. Unfortunately, there is a lot of anger in that group and much of it comes from a misconception of what BPD is like and what the function of BPD behaviors are. Anyway, I just wanted to say “Hi” and “Keep up with good work!”
Bon
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July 10, 2009 at 3:26 am
What you are talking about is called apathy. Another word for it tends to be called indifference. I have to say your case must be mild if herbal treatments, self-help, and nice music can change your mood so easily. I take meds, and see doctors, and and go to therapy, and I still battle everyday just to keep myself from commiting suicide. More power to you. Also, I read a lot about people with BPD, and crazy relationships, but I thought most of us with this condition push people away more than let people walk all over them. Why is it that the majority of BPD sufferers are women, and when a man talks about having it, most find it hard to believe? And what diiference does gender make? I honestly think that about 60% to 70% are bipolar, rather than BPD, just from what I have read from blogs, and places like this. One last question; if these places claim to be for people and for support, then why is it that people are so over-critical and they always say to talk abuot how you feel, but when you do, they delete you? This makes no sense to me.
July 10, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Actually I deal with suicidal feelings as well and will be starting therapy again soon.My moods are responsive to my environment and can be very transient. I used to be alot worse but I done some therapy, worked a bit on my lifestyle and since then, have come a long way. I am more borderline than I am aware of sometimes. I have been told by my doctor to get on meds but I don’t want to be dependent on a chemical to keep my moods in check so I am not taking the prescriptive route I prefer a humanistic psychologist and a holistic practitioner in combination with self help for an integrated approach to “recovery”.
As far as your other questions, In my opinion, more women may have BPD because of societal conditioning, also men may be afraid to seek help. Doctors may also have an unconscious bias when diagnosing clients.I’m not sure what difference gender makes, the only reason I consider gender is when designing our marketing strategies.As far as misdiagnoses, bipolar and BPD seem to overlap and can also be comorbid- meaning a person can have both.The connection between bipolar and BPD is mysterious but deserves more research as a combined treatment seems like a promising option.I may have both bipolar and BPD as well.Which places delete you? LITC or Spliit will delete very cynical and discouraging comments as our visitors may find it so negative that it defeats our purpose of being a place of light and encouragement. But very negative comments can be dealt with via email.If someone if venting with the goal of getting the problem out on the table in order to find a solution, that’s fine with me but if someone continuously vents then I will delete it.