What does it really mean to love someone with Borderline Personality Disorder*? In this powerful episode, we flip the lens, not just on living with BPD, but on loving someone who does.

BPD is often misunderstood, and so are the relationships surrounding it. Partners, friends, and family are sometimes labeled as "enablers," or warned that people with BPD are “toxic” or “manipulative.” But what’s the reality behind the stigma?

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Bouchard, S., Sabourin, S., Lussier, Y., & Villeneuve, E. (2009). Relationship quality and stability in couples when one partner suffers from borderline personality disorder. Journal of marital and family therapy, 35(4), 446-455. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00151.x

Daley, S. E., Burge, D., & Hammen, C. (2000). Borderline personality disorder symptoms as predictors of 4-year romantic relationship dysfunction in young women: addressing issues of specificity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 451. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.109.3.451

Gunderson, J. G., Weinberg, I., & Choi-Kain, L. (2013). Borderline personality disorder. Focus, 11(2), 129-145. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.11.2.129

Fitzpatrick, S., Liebman, R. E., & Monson, C. M. (2021). The borderline interpersonal-affective systems (BIAS) model: Extending understanding of the interpersonal context of borderline personality disorder. Clinical psychology review, 84, 101983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101983

Lavner, J. A., Lamkin, J., & Miller, J. D. (2015). Borderline personality disorder symptoms and newlyweds’ observed communication, partner characteristics, and longitudinal marital outcomes. Journal of abnormal psychology, 124(4), 975. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000095

Miano, A., Grosselli, L., Roepke, S., & Dziobek, I. (2017). Emotional dysregulation in borderline personality disorder and its influence on communication behavior and feelings in romantic relationships. Behaviour research and therapy, 95, 148-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.06.002

Navarro-Gómez, S., Frías, Á., & Palma, C. (2017). Romantic relationships of people with borderline personality: A narrative review. Psychopathology, 50(3), 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1159/000474950

Why is Borderline Personality Disorder still so misunderstood?

In this episode we explore the stigma surrounding BPD, from the media, to the police force, to mental health professionals. We look at structural stigma, public stigma, and self-stigma, exploring real stories, real harm, and how validation and awareness can lead to healing.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Aviram, R. B., Brodsky, B. S., & Stanley, B. (2006). Borderline personality disorder, stigma, and treatment implications. Harvard review of psychiatry, 14(5), 249-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/10673220600975121 

Black, D. W., Pfohl, B., Blum, N., McCormick, B., Allen, J., North, C. S., ... & Zimmerman, M. (2011). Attitudes toward borderline personality disorder: a survey of 706 mental health clinicians. CNS spectrums, 16(3), 67-74. Doi:10.1017/C109285291200020X

Blascovich, J., Mendes, W. B., Hunter, S. B., Lickel, B., & Kowai-Bell, N. (2001). Perceiver threat in social interactions with stigmatized others. Journal of personality and social psychology, 80(2), 253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.2.253

Brown, M. Z., Comtois, K. A., & Linehan, M. M. (2002). Reasons for suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in women with borderline personality disorder. Journal of abnormal psychology, 111(1), 198. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.111.1.198

Choi-Kain, L. W., Reich, D. B., Masland, S. R., Iliakis, E. A., & Ilagan, G. S. (2020). Longitudinal course of borderline personality disorder: What every clinician needs to know. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 7(3), 429-445.

Corrigan, P. W. (2000). Mental health stigma as social attribution: Implications for research methods and attitude change. Clinical psychology: science and practice, 7(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.7.1.48

Corrigan, P. W., & Penn, D. L. (1999). Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma. American psychologist, 54(9), 765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.9.765

Corrigan, P. W., River, L. P., Lundin, R. K., Penn, D. L., Uphoff-Wasowski, K., Campion, J.,.. & Kubiak, M. A. (2001). Three strategies for changing attributions about severe mental illness. Schizophrenia bulletin, 27(2), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a006865

Couture, S., & Penn, D. (2003). Interpersonal contact and the stigma of mental illness: A review of the literature. Journal of mental health, 12(3), 291-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638231000118276

Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2008). How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice?

Watson, A. C., Otey, E., Westbrook, A. L., Gardner, A. L., Lamb, T. A., Corrigan, P. W., & Fenton, W. S. (2004). Changing middle schoolers' attitudes about mental illness through education. Schizophrenia bulletin, 30(3), 563-572. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a007100

Why are so many celebrities labeled as “crazy,” “unstable,” or “too emotional”, and how often is that linked to Borderline Personality Disorder*?

We’re not here to gossip or diagnose, but we explore how public figures have either disclosed or been linked to BPD, and what that means for public awareness and stigma.

From the courtroom controversy of Amber Heard to the tragic loss of Amy Winehouse, we talk about how media portrayal shapes how the world sees (and misunderstands) BPD, and why representation, especially honest, messy, human stories, matters so much.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is possible.

Recommended books on BPD:

I Hate You - Don’t Leave Me  by Hal Straus and Jerold J. Kreisman

The Way She Feels by Courtney Cook

This Is Not the End: Conversations on Borderline Personality Disorder Tabetha Martin (Editor)

Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Arendt, F., & Northup, T. (2015). Effects of Long-Term Exposure to News Stereotypes on Implicit and Explicit Attitudes. In International Journal of Communication (Vol. 9). http://ijoc.org.

Aviram, R. B., Brodsky, B. S., & Stanley, B. (2006). Borderline personality disorder, stigma, and treatment implications. Harvard review of psychiatry, 14(5), 249-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/10673220600975121 

Blascovich, J., Mendes, W. B., Hunter, S. B., Lickel, B., & Kowai-Bell, N. (2001). Perceiver threat in social interactions with stigmatized others. Journal of personality and social psychology, 80(2), 253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.2.253

 Corrigan, P. W. (2000). Mental health stigma as social attribution: Implications for research methods and attitude change. Clinical psychology: science and practice, 7(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.7.1.48

Corrigan, P. W., & Penn, D. L. (1999). Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma. American psychologist, 54(9), 765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.9.765

Corrigan, P. W., River, L. P., Lundin, R. K., Penn, D. L., Uphoff-Wasowski, K., Campion, J.,.. & Kubiak, M. A. (2001). Three strategies for changing attributions about severe mental illness. Schizophrenia bulletin, 27(2), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a006865

Couture, S., & Penn, D. (2003). Interpersonal contact and the stigma of mental illness: A review of the literature. Journal of mental health, 12(3), 291-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638231000118276

Knoll, J., & Matthes, J. (2017). The effectiveness of celebrity endorsements: a meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(1), 55–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0503-8

Marshall, P. D. (2015). Celebrity and Public Persona. In Communication. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0159

Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2008). How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice?

Watson, A. C., Otey, E., Westbrook, A. L., Gardner, A. L., Lamb, T. A., Corrigan, P. W., & Fenton, W. S. (2004). Changing middle schoolers' attitudes about mental illness through education. Schizophrenia bulletin, 30(3), 563-572. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a007100

In this episode we explore the disorienting symptoms of transient paranoia and dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder*.

You'll hear personal stories, learn what the latest research says, and most importantly, we dive into real strategies for grounding yourself, challenging paranoid thoughts, and reconnecting with reality. 

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Fertuck, E. A., Jekal, A., Song, I., Wyman, B., Morris, M. C., Wilson, S. T., ... & Stanley, B. (2009). Enhanced ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ in borderline personality disorder compared to healthy controls. Psychological medicine, 39(12), 1979-1988. Doi:10.1017/S003329170900600X 

Lyssenko, L., Schmahl, C., Bockhacker, L., Vonderlin, R., Bohus, M., & Kleindienst, N. (2018). Dissociation in psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis of studies using the dissociative experiences scale. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17010025

Fonagy, P., & Luyten, P. (2009). A developmental, mentalization-based approach to the understanding and treatment of borderline personality disorder. Development and psychopathology, 21(4), 1355-1381. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579409990198

Schore, A. N. (2001). The effects of early relational trauma on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal: Official Publication of The World Association for Infant Mental Health, 22(1‐2), 201-269. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0355(200101/04)22:1<201::AID-IMHJ8>3.0.CO;2-9

Sieswerda, S., Arntz, A., Mertens, I., & Vertommen, S. (2007). Hypervigilance in patients with borderline personality disorder: specificity, automaticity, and predictors. Behaviour research and therapy, 45(5), 1011-1024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.07.012

Zanarini, M. C., Frankenburg, F. R., Reich, D. B., Silk, K. R., Hudson, J. I., & McSweeney, L. B. (2007). The subsyndromal phenomenology of borderline personality disorder: a 10-year follow-up study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(6), 929-935. 
https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.929

Zanarini, M. C., Frankenburg, F. R., Wedig, M. M., & Fitzmaurice, G. M. (2013). Cognitive experiences reported by borderline patients and Axis II comparison subjects: A 16-year prospective follow-up study. The American journal of psychiatry, 170(6), 671.

In this deeply important episode of BPD Diaries: Stories and Science, we discuss the difficult yet important topic of self-harm and suicidal behavior in individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We offer a space for understanding and healing, and show that these actions are not necessarily about seeking attention, they are survival responses to unbearable pain. If you or someone you know is struggling, this episode offers hope and a reminder that recovery is possible, one step at a time.

⛔ Trigger Warning: We will be discussing sensitive topics, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Please take care of yourself and reach out for support if needed.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Brickman, L. J., Ammerman, B. A., Look, A. E., Berman, M. E., & McCloskey, M. S. (2014). The relationship between non-suicidal self-injury and borderline personality disorder symptoms in a college sample. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 1, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/2051-6673-1-14

Chapman AL, Gratz KL, Brown MZ (2006): Solving the puzzle of deliber-

ate self-harm: The experiential avoidance model. Behav Res Ther 44:371–

394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.03.005

Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., & Linehan, M. M. (2009). A biosocial developmental model of borderline personality: elaborating and extending Linehan’s theory. Psychological Bulletin, 135(3), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015616

Hooley, J. M., Ho, D. T., Slater, J., & Lockshin, A. (2020). Pain perception and nonsuicidal self-injury: A laboratory investigation. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 11(2), 113-123. https://doi.org/10.1037/per0000376

Kleindienst, N., Bohus, M., Ludäscher, P., Limberger, M. F., Kuenkele, K., Ebner-Priemer, U. W., ... & Schmahl, C. (2008). Motives for nonsuicidal self-injury among women with borderline personality disorder. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 196(3), 230-236.

Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2007). Borderline personality and the pain paradox. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(4), 40.

In this episode, we dive into the explosive, uncontrollable anger symptom of BPD. From internal rage, snapping over small triggers to full-blown rage that leaves guilt and shame in its wake, we explore where this anger comes from, how it ties into trauma, and what can actually help.

⛔ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses violence, and partner violence. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠
Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Bertsch K, Back S, Flechsenhar A, et al. Don’t make me angry: Frustration-induced anger and its link to aggression in women with borderline personality disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.695062

Cackowski S, Krause-Utz A, Van Eijk J, et al. Anger and aggression in borderline personality disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - does stress matter?. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2017;4:6. doi:10.1186/s40479-017-0057-5

Hilt LM, Pollak SD. Getting out of rumination: comparison of three brief interventions in a sample of youth. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2012;40(7):1157-1165. doi:10.1007/s10802-012-9638-3

Linehan, M. (2014). DBT? Skills training manual. Guilford Publications. 

Munro, O. E., & Sellbom, M. (2020). Elucidating the relationship between borderline personality disorder and intimate partner violence. Personality and mental health, 14(3), 284-303.  

https://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.1480

 Schoenleber, M., & Berenbaum, H. (2012). Shame regulation in personality pathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121(2), 433. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025281

In this episode, we dive into the silent crisis of chronic feelings of emptiness. We explore what this inner void really is (spoiler: it’s not just loneliness, depression, or boredom), how it impacts identity, and why it often leads to impulsive or self-harming behavior.

We explore it through lived experience and the latest research, sharing evidence-based strategies from mindfulness to meaning-making that can help gently rebuild connection and a sense of purpose, one step at a time.

⛔ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses emotional numbness, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. Please take care while listening and pause if needed.

🌱 We’d love to hear from you. Questions, thoughts, or a story you want to share? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

🎧 Looking for meditations to support emotional regulation, BPD recovery, and more? Visit our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free guided practices made with care: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Also on Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations.

💛 If you or someone you love is struggling with symptoms of BPD, you are not alone. Help is out there. Healing takes time, but it is possible, and you deserve support.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

• Hein, K. E., et al. (2025). Emptiness in patients with BPD: Severity and predictors of outcome over 24 years. Journal of Affective Disorders, 372, 234–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.11.075

• Herron, S. J., & Sani, F. (2022). Understanding the typical presentation of emptiness: A study of lived experience. Journal of Mental Health, 31(2), 188–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2021.1922645

• Klonsky, E. D. (2008). What is emptiness? Clarifying the 7th criterion for BPD. Journal of Personality Disorders, 22(4), 418–426. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.2008.22.4.418

• Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.

• Miller, C. E., et al. (2018). A 1-year follow-up study of capacity to love and work in BPD. Personality and Mental Health, 12(4), 334–344. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.1432

• Miller, C. E., et al. (2021). Understanding chronic feelings of emptiness in BPD: A qualitative study. BPD and Emotion Dysregulation, 8, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-021-00164-8

• Ntshingila, N., et al. (2016). Experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. Health SA Gesondheid, 21, 110–119.

Feeling Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

In this episode, we discuss the emotional rollercoaster that defines emotional instability. From sudden mood shifts to intense reactions that seem to come out of nowhere, we explore why this happens, how it impacts daily life, and what the science says. We’ll explore how childhood trauma wires the brain for emotional extremes and share evidence-based coping strategies to help you ride the waves with more awareness and compassion.

⛔ Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of trauma, self-harm and suicidality. Take care and pause if you need to.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you'd like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠

Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you or someone you care about may be experiencing symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and reaching out to a mental health professional can be a powerful first step. Recovery is possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes

Begemann, M. J., Schutte, M. J., Van Dellen, E., Abramovic, L., Boks, M. P., Van Haren, N. E., ... & Sommer, I. E. (2023). Childhood trauma is associated with reduced frontal gray matter volume: a large transdiagnostic structural MRI study. Psychological medicine, 53(3), 741-749. doi: 10.1017/S0033291721002087

Brickman, L. J., Ammerman, B. A., Look, A. E., Berman, M. E., & McCloskey, M. S. (2014). The relationship between non-suicidal self-injury and borderline personality disorder symptoms in a college sample. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 1, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/2051-6673-1-14

Cassiers, L. L., Sabbe, B. G., Schmaal, L., Veltman, D. J., Penninx, B. W., & Van Den Eede, F. (2018). Structural and functional brain abnormalities associated with exposure to different childhood trauma subtypes: A systematic review of neuroimaging findings. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 329. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00329

Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., & Linehan, M. M. (2009). A biosocial developmental model of borderline personality: Elaborating and extending Linehan’s theory. Psychological bulletin, 135(3), 495. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015616

Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.

Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2007). Borderline personality and the pain paradox. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(4), 40.

Ever looked in the mirror and felt like a stranger? Or changed your personality, hobbies, or even values depending on who you’re with? If your sense of self feels like a moving target, you’re not alone.

Hear how BPD* turns life into a series of reinventions, how relationships shape identity, and how neuroscience, trauma research, and therapy offer a path toward a more stable sense of self.

Trigger Warning: We mention suicide and early trauma. Take care and pause if you need to.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you'd like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠

Also available on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes

Bendstrup, G., Simonsen, E., Kongerslev, M. T., Jørgensen, M. S., Petersen, L. S., Thomsen, M. S., & Vestergaard, M. (2021). Narrative coherence of autobiographical memories in women with borderline personality disorder and associations with childhood adversity. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, 8(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-021-00159-5

 Fonagy, P., & Luyten, P. (2009). A developmental, mentalization-based approach to the understanding and treatment of borderline personality disorder. Development and psychopathology, 21(4), 1355-1381.

 Mohana, & Moon, C. (2024). Towards understanding the direct and indirect effects of borderline personality features on identity disturbance. Mental Health Science, 2(2), e60.  https://doi.org/10.1002/mhs2.60

Roepke, S., Schröder‐Abé, M., Schütz, A., Jacob, G., Dams, A., Vater, A., ... & Lammers, C. H. (2011). Dialectic behavioural therapy has an impact on self‐concept clarity and facets of self‐esteem in women with borderline personality disorder. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 18(2), 148-158. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.684

Salgado-Pineda, P., Ferrer, M., Calvo, N., Duque-Yemail, J. D., Costa, X., Rué, À., ... & Pomarol-Clotet, E. (2025). Brain functional abnormality in drug naïve adolescents with borderline personality disorder during self-and other-reflection. Translational psychiatry, 15(1), 157. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03368-6

Yen, S., Shea, M. T., Sanislow, C. A., Grilo, C. M., Skodol, A. E., Gunderson, J. G., ... & Morey, L. C. (2004). Borderline personality disorder criteria associated with prospectively observed suicidal behavior. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(7), 1296-1298.

Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Why couldn’t I stop?

In this episode, we explore the whirlwind of impulsivity in Borderline Personality Disorder, from risky decisions and explosive reactions to the silent shame that follows. We break down what’s happening in the brain during those all-or-nothing moments, and how emotional dysregulation, a reactive amygdala, and underactive impulse-control systems make it hard to hit pause.

Steff and Kerry share personal stories of impulsive choices (and the aftermath), along with practical tools that can help you slow down before spiraling out. Whatever your impulse, this episode is your reminder: there’s science behind the storm, and hope in the pause.

Trigger Warning: We talk about emotional intensity, sex, suicide, and substance use. Take care and pause if you need to.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you'd like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠

Also available on ⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠.

If you or someone you care about may be experiencing symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and reaching out to a mental health professional can be a powerful first step. Recovery is possible.

📚 Referenced research includes

Krause-Utz et al. (2019). Impaired cognitive control in BPD: A review of functional neuroimaging findings. Borderline Pers Disord Emot Dysregul, 6, 1–14.

Linehan et al. (2023). Efficacy of DBT in reducing impulsive behaviors in BPD: A 12-month longitudinal study. Behav Res Ther, 162, 104267.

Richard-Lepouriel et al. (2019). Neurocognitive correlates of impulsivity in BPD: The role of inhibitory control. J Affect Disord, 244, 33–41

Schulze, Schmahl, & Niedtfeld (2016). Neural correlates of disturbed emotion processing in BPD: A multimodal meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry, 79(2), 97–106.

Silbersweig et al. (2007). Neural dysfunction in amygdala-prefrontal systems during emotional processing in borderline personality disorder. Am J Psychiatry, 164(12), 1831–1841.