Hello @wandering and welcome to the Forums,
I’m glad you found us, all the way from South America! The emotions and behaviours you describe sound overwhelming. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to go through all of that when you’re away from your home and family and friends.
I know that everyone is different and this is just my opinion, but I think familiarity can be really helpful when you’re going through a difficult time, as can the support of people who’ve known you for a long time and who are able to recognise any behaviour that’s different from your usual self. Moving to a new place always takes an extra effort in establishing networks, finding places to do the things you enjoy, etc. Finding the energy to do all of that when you’re not feeling so great can be really hard.
Another thing to consider is the cost of treatment. In Australia, you can access a Medicare rebate for visits to a psychologist. Having said that, I know very little about the mental health care systems in other countries. Perhaps you could consider moving home to take a break and have an initial assessment and then think about what you’d like to do from there? As @Mazarita says, seeing a GP is a great place to start. They can then refer onwards to a psychologist or psychiatrist as they see fit.
Although you may recognise a lot of what you’ve read about borderline personality disorder in your behaviour, it’s important to remember that psychologists and psychiatrists have had several years of training in order to diagnose a mental illness from the various symptoms an individual might display. Even then, different individuals can display symptoms that might be present in a number of mental illnesses, as well as in individuals with no diagnosis of a mental illness. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the important thing is learning to manage the behaviours and emotions that you’re experiencing. For now, just being aware of those behaviours and emotions is a great start and will be a huge help when you go to explain what’s happening to your GP.
Anyway, those are just my thoughts knowing only what I’ve read from your post. I would love to hear what other members think about treatment in Australia compared to elsewhere in the world. I know @Appleblossom has some international connections.
It would also be great to hear what others think about the role of friends and family, as well as being at home and being away, when taking steps toward recovery/management of a mental illness. Any thoughts?
@wanderingI hope you’ve been able to enjoy the amazing things to see in South America despite all that you’re going through. Welcome once again. Whatever you decide, I think you'll find the Forums a great place to share and find support.
