For years, I avoided going home. The walls of my childhood house held too many echoes of misunderstanding and moments where I felt dismissed, unseen, or simply as “too much.” Maybe you can relate.  My response was to avoid, distract, escape. I didn't go home for 5...

Q: “Do I Matter Enough to Myself to End a Long-term Partnership & Make a New Beginning?” We know, especially around the holidays, that human beings are made for relationships–to connect with others. Many of us long for that special person who sees, hears, loves,...

On February 2nd, 2023, my aunt celebrated her 60th birthday. In the week leading up to her special day, I planned to make her a cherry pie. I found crust and filling recipes, made a shopping list, and braced myself for a trip to the grocery store on the morning of her...

I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder at the start of lockdown, age 58 – so as you can imagine, by then I’d already lived a rather tumultuous life. Before the diagnosis I just thought I was bad at ‘doing life’ – it turns out my brain was the problem. I...

Warning: The following contains mentions of self-harm that may be triggering to some audiences. Self-harm is a difficult topic from any angle. It is baffling and uncomfortable for those who have never experienced it, and potentially triggering to those who have. So,...

Warning: The following contains mentions of self-harm that may be triggering to some audiences. At age fourteen—long before my borderline personality diagnosis (BPD)—I was diagnosed with anorexia. Looking back now, I see the eating disorder as an extension of the BPD....

As a kid, struggling to authentically connect with people and the world around me, I took refuge in the characters on my TV screen. I joined the universe I was meant to be a mere observer of and was able to feel whole and completely present for a time in my otherwise...

  Warning: This article discusses specific abusive behaviors which could be disturbing for certain audiences.   I am diagnosed with BPD, as well as complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), the latter of which is connected to experiencing trauma regularly...

Warning: The following contains mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation that may be upsetting to some readers. Sufferers of borderline personality disorder (BPD) have the highest suicide rate of any demographic. Unfortunately, 1 in 10 people with this condition die...

Warning: The following contains mentions of suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to some audiences.   I originally titled this post the first thing that popped into my head, “I’ve Had Darker Days.” It was something catchy I’ve heard before, a placeholder...