We're talking suicide - something that impacts almost everyone with borderline personality disorder in some way. A vast majority of us have experienced suicidal thoughts and as many as 10% of us will die by suicide at some point. 

Naturally this episode gets deep and you should listen with care. 

In part 1 (of 2) we talk language around suicide, stigma, shame, and start to get into our personal experiences with suicide.  

Suicide is a real thing and it's important we talk about it openly. It may be hard, but it's the truth. 

Relevant links to this episode: 

• Laurie and Aaron's episode about her suicide crisis in 2024. Part 1 and Part 2
• Kat's poetry book
• Suicide training SafeTALK and ASIST 

If you are in an immediate crisis please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. If you need someone to talk to about your suicidal thoughts please call 988 if you are in the US or Canada. 

You are loved and we want you to keep living. We promise life gets better and the emotions you are going through will pass. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Molly has experienced plenty of her own BPD stigma including as part of the legal system following a rape.  

We also discuss the importance of therapy, the challenges of finding her biological family, and her discovering  that she was Indigenous as an adult. 

Molly's story highlights the complexities of mental health, drug use, trauma, and the search for self-acceptance. 

This episode discuses rape and sexual assault in detail - please listen with caution and take care of yourself while you listen. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Dr. Elsa Ronningstam is an expert in narcissistic personality disorders, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the former president of the International Society of the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD).  She joins the podcast to discuss the history and evolution of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) and the importance of international collaboration in research and advocacy. 

Dr. Ronningstam emphasizes the significance of psychoeducation and the various treatment modalities available for individuals with personality disorders, particularly focusing on narcissistic personality disorder. The conversation highlights the importance of empathy and understanding in supporting those affected by these conditions.

Dr. Ronningstam will be speaking at the presenting 2025 International Congress for the Study of Personality Disorders in Boston November 9th-11th. 

Her presentation topics include:

• Psychoeducation promoting destigmatization and change in NPD 
• Changes in narcissistic personality disorder in the context of co-morbid conditions 
• A dimensional perspective on the NPD core feature grandiosity

There are still tickets available to attend the Congress, including a brand-new option to attend virtually! PLUS there is a flash sale on for a limited time. You can find all of the information and register at ISSPD Registration

Come join Elsa, Laurie and hundreds of others passionate about personality disorders learn and connect together this fall!

Find the NPD Basics 5th Edition here. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Intense, uncontrollable anger is the scariest part of borderline personality disorder for a lot of people. And I don't mean scary for those around us (although them too) but for many of us it's a shameful, uncontrollable rage that feels like it will ruin our lives - and it absolutely ruins our happiness. 

Dave, Shannon, Laurie, Heather and Kat talk about what anger looks like in their lives, the differences between the internal and external expressions of anger, and how we have learned to manage our anger and unproductive coping mechanisms that often come with it. 

Together we discuss the challenges of managing anger, the importance of accountability, and the skills that help us navigate our emotions. 

Our conversation highlights the struggle between feeling justified in anger at times and the need for self-awareness and emotional regulation.

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Dr. Shirley Yen, is a clinical psychologist and researcher at Harvard Medical School and board member of the International Society of the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) in addition to so many other roles and publications that you can learn about here. 

In this episode we discuss the critical issues surrounding adolescent mental health, particularly focusing on suicide, non-suicidal self injury (NSSI) and the importance of resilience-based interventions.

Dr. Yen shares her personal motivations for studying these topics, the complexities of self-harm, and we discuss two of the most asked questions about BPD:

1. Should the name be changed?
2. Should we diagnose BPD under the age of 18?

Laurie is presenting alongside Dr. Shirley Yen, Dr. Mary Zanarini and Isabel Glass at the upcoming 2025 International Congress for the Study of Personality Disorders in Boston November 9th-11th. Come Join Us!!!

There are still tickets available to attend the Congress, including a brand-new option to attend virtually! PLUS there is a flash sale on for a limited time. You can find all of the information and register at ISSPD Registration

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Ciara Toddington, is a new registered clinical counselor who is passionate about destigmatizing borderline personality disorder (BPD) for her clients and providing dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) in a way that works for them. 

Together we discuss what led Ciara to becoming a counsellor, the stigma around BPD in education and clinical settings, and the importance of working to change the narrative.  

To find out more about Ciara's work and to reach out about her therapy services you can find her at the Unitive Wellness Clinic in Vancouver British Columbia Canada. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Rakesh Kumar (@healingwitheverystep) is currently walking across Canada to raise awareness about borderline personality disorder. 

Rakesh shares his personal journey, the cultural challenges surrounding mental health in the South Asian community, and the impact of finding peer support.

Rakesh's inspiring mission just goes to show the incredible perseverance that people with BPD embody. 

As of October 2nd 2025 - Rakesh has walked 2,798km (1739 miles) for which he brought no money and has been relying on generous donations of food and spaces to sleep by strangers he meets along the way. 

In the episode you'll hear Rakesh share about how he does not want to connect money to his journey because it takes away from his mission. 

Laurie however wants you to know that the organization he talks about benefitting so much is the Borderline Personality Disorder Society of British Columbia which does accept donations if you are so inclined. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Who am I? That's a question a lot of people with borderline personality disorder find themselves asking. We're expert chameleons in ways that are really helpful but our shifting self-image can also cause a lot of distress.  

In this episode, I'm joined by Dave, Kat, and Shannon to explore the BPD symptom of identity disturbance (aka unstable self-image). We talk about all of the existential questions, fears of our own inauthenticity, and the ways people with BPD often shape-shift to fit in, be accepted and survive. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

Heather the self proclaimed chaos goblin shares her story of self-discovery, learning how to deal with BPD and sobriety and finding her voice to raise awareness about Super Feelers like us. 

You'll recognize Heather from the BPD Symptoms and DBT Skills mini series but in this episode we dive even deeper and discuss her life as a swinger, a parent and a person who is just starting to learn the skills that are already helping change her life. 

We discuss the challenges of self-doubt, the impact of childhood experiences on parenting, and the importance of community support. Heather shares her journey of embracing her identity and the positive aspects of having BPD, emphasizing the depth of emotions and the strength found in vulnerability. 

It's no surprise that we talk so much in this episode about the importance of finding communities and our mutual love of The Super Feelers Club for peer support. 

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!

The emotional rollercoaster, intense mood swings, affective instability, over reacting, moody, etc. We've heard it all and we've lived it.

In this episode the whole crew gets into what it's like to struggle with intense mood swings as part of BPD. 

We get into the importance of understanding subjective units of distress (SUD) scale,  the stigma surrounding BPD and the misconceptions that often arise in discussions about emotional instability. 

We also talk about the impact of intense emotions on relationships, our own self-worth and our ability to use our skills.  

Support the show

If you want to support the show, dive deeper into the world of super feeling and for tons of bonus content please consider subscribing to the Super Feeler patreon page.

Click here to register for The Super Feelers Club (the peer support group)

If you are needing mental health support or someone to talk to, please connect with your local crisis line or call or text 988 in Canada or the US or find a local line

Don't forget to follow us on social media (@thesuperfeeler) and subscribe to our podcast for new episodes and updates. Your subscriptions, downloads, and reviews mean the world to us!

Thank you for listening!