Seeking support/reassurance on re-thinking diagnoses.

Hi @rye , that does sound confusing. Can you mention this to your psychologist?

I hopoe you can talk to them about how you're feeling, and feel a bit less hopeless.

Good luck...

Hi @rye,

I'm sorry to read that you have been going through such a tough time lately - it sounds like a lot to deal with and a lot going on.

I'm glad to read you have a GP and psychologist on your team. We appreciate you letting us know that you are safe and you are taking care of yourself.

I can understand why it would seem like a lot - I would imagine it would feel like a bit of a whirlwind with different diagnoses being discussed and different theories around why you may feel the way you do. I think your feelings around this process being confronting and scary make complete sense. I would imagine most people would feel the way you do particularly if you haven't been to hospital for mental health reasons before.

A close family member of mine was diagnosed with a serious mental health issue many years. I remember when he was initially diagnosed he went through a rollercoaster of emotions. Overtime and learning to understand his diagnosis, alongside getting good treatment and professional support, he now manages his diagnosis well but it did take some time.

I think it's great that you reached out on the Forums and are seeking to find others that can relate and offer you some guidance and support from a lived experience perspective. I think it is through posts such as yours that helps demonstrate why the support of a lived experience community is so important.

Take care - I wish you all the best,

FloatingFeather

DBT can be helpful for a range of things. @rye Glad your Gp agrees.

If you do not feel you had trauma then it is possibly unwise to going fishing for it.

Hearing you about the "escalation" in the services. Not sure how to advise, but maybe start looking at online DBT stuff. Getting drunk often has consequences, try and deal with any specific fall out from the event.

Go Gently Bently with your self care whatever any diagnosis.

Hi again!

Thanks so much @NatureLover, @FloatingFeather and @Appleblossom for your replies. I read them at the time but got swept away in the busy season and didn't get to replying.

I did speak to both my psychologist and GP about my confusion with all the back and forth, and they helped reassure me that ultimately these are all just ways to help formulate which treatments may be most useful. My psychologist has shifted to using more of a schema therapy approach, which I'm finding quite useful. I also went through the referral process for an assessment by a psychiatrist specialising in eating disorders, with the aim of providing a second opinion on the diagnosis/treatment front. This appointment is coming up next week, and I am quite (very) nervous.

Unfortunately I had another similar incident this past weekend - engaged in some dangerous behaviour after drinking socially.

I'm pretty confused because this time I didn't have any suicidal ideation or intention. It was like I had no feelings about it at all, and was acting on autopilot. Even now it feels really weird like how could I have landed myself in such a risky situation without even feeling distressed?

Obviously I have to accept that drinking is just not a good idea for me, and I need to let it sink in that even if my intention wasn't to harm myself, I very well could have and so can't let it become a normalised behaviour.

If anyone out there has had similar experiences, I'd be very keen to hear your stories or insights.

x rye

@rye

I realise now that in my teens and early adulthood I engaged in very risky behaviours. Sometimes the risk is so high it can potentially be life threatening, eg drunk driving. I never drank much but rode my motor bike after smoking d*pe or w*ed. I travelled the world as a single woman at 20.

Risk taking can be an important part of the transition between childhood and adulthood and leaving the family home, as it can be part of what stretches us into being a whole and better person with better skills etc ... depending on what is going on.

Context is everything. Incremental is good.

We learn to adjust our behaviour when we overstep the mark. If we do not risk anything lives can be smaller.

Drinking and driving is never a good one.

For example with swimming at beaches and bushwalking, gradual exposure to risks builds skills and ability to manage the risks, if we avoid them totally we may be unprepared and have a bigger accident.

There can be a carelessness that can border on potential self harm, but I not think it is a clear cut line. Some people are more thrill seekers.

Does that make sense to you?

Hello forums. Please, if you have any encouraging words or experiences to share, I would really appreciate it.

It's been a while since I've been here, but I've had a pretty rough fortnight and I'm trying to re-build some supportive spaces for myself.

I've been to hospital twice in the last week and a half and was sectioned both times. This hasn't happened to me before and it feels a bit scary, like a bit of an escalation, and like how on earth did I end up here?! Is this really my life? But I wasn't admitted, so it mustn't have been too serious. But also I keep being told to drop the "I'm fine" act, because quite clearly I am not fine. It's all very confusing. I feel okay/nothing, but I don't know if I can even trust myself to know anymore.

I can't even understand how I get into these situations - it's like this magnet just pulling me to act on urges to do harmful things to myself before my rational brain can catch up. Like, quick, do it before I can think of the consequences. Can anyone relate?

I feel like this is all supporting the BPD theory, and that is worrying me because what does that mean? Am I going to be this impulsive and reckless with my body forever? I feel a bit trapped in a cycle right now.

Also, my relationship of 15 years ended a few months ago. I haven't been able to feel the emotion because I'm worried it will be too devastating to face. It feels just under the surface, and ugh I do not want to do that. Hopeless + impulsive feels like a bad mix.

Thanks for reading. Hope you're having a nice night.