The Phase Inc

           Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health condition characterized by unstable moods affecting one’s thoughts and feelings about themselves, others, and the world. For a number of reasons, BPD has gotten a bad rep over the years. People with BPD can be difficult to have relationships with due to their unstable moods, emotional attachment, and impulsive behaviors. However, many of the ‘truths’ we know about BPD are myths passed down by therapists and psychiatrists spooked by this diagnosis. In order to effectively treat BPD as a community, we must first debunk some of these harmful myths. Here are 5 that I have realized over the years living with BPD:  1. BPD has no scientific foundation            That’s not true! Although it is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, such as what happens during a depressive episode, BPD does have biological foundations. BPD develops partly from having...

  In Part 1 of Narcissistic Parenting and The Cycle of Abuse, we discussed the cycle of narcissistic parenting abuse. (see part I for more detail)         Here in Part 2, we are going to discuss the inner child wound that ensues from years of this cyclical abuse.          Years long chaos, unpredictability, and the long-term feeling of betrayal by a parent causes children of narcissistic parents to lose their compass. We lose the ability to understand cues, know when and where to look for threats of danger, and we lose our sense of trust in ourselves.          This is due in large part to our nervous system's response to the threat of constant and unpredictable danger. The autonomic nervous system is made up of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for emotional regulation and relaxation, while the sympathetic nervous s...

            N arcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic thoughts and behaviors. More specifically, NPD is a set of thoughts and behaviors based upon an inflated sense of self, grandiose thoughts of self, sense of entitlement, and lack of empathy. This leads individuals with NPD to: Seek excessive amounts of admiration Portray egotistical behaviors Crave power and control Desire entitlements and special treatment Be oppressive toward others.            Narcissistic parenting is when a narcissist focuses their lack of empathy and grandiosity toward their child. Narcissistic parents often view their child as an extension of the self, and therefor see the child as existing solely for their own selfish needs. Narcissistic parenting can look a number of ways - including lack of empathy and narcissistic rage, unpredictable and chaotic moods, pigeon-holing and being overly crit...

  Having occasional feelings of anxiety is a normal part of life, but people with anxiety disorders experience frequent and excessive anxiety, fear, terror and panic in everyday situations. These feelings are unhealthy if they affect your quality of life and prevent you from functioning normally. Common symptoms of anxiety disorders include: Feeling nervous Feeling helpless A sense of impending panic, danger or doom Increased heart rate Hyperventilation Sweating Trembling Obsessively thinking about the panic trigger These feelings of anxiety and panic can interfere with daily activities and be difficult to control. They are out of proportion to the actual danger and can cause you to avoid places or situations. While most people with anxiety disorders need psychotherapy or medications to get anxiety under control, lifestyle changes and coping strategies can also make a difference. Here are 11 tips for coping with an anxiety disorder: Keep physically active.  Develop a routine s...

  Depression is a serious mental illness that can interfere with a person’s life. It can cause long-lasting and severe feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and even a loss of interest in activities you used to love. Depression is not feeling down for an hour out of your day. It's not something that needs to be glorified. It's not beautiful. It can also cause physical symptoms of pain, appetite changes, and sleep problems. Depression can happen at any age. I was diagnosed with it when I was 11 years old. If you or someone you love has any symptoms of depression or you believe you or someone else might try and hurt themselves, please remember to reach out to someone to get the help you or someone else needs. What is depression? What does it look like? What is it like to live with it? Well, here is what it is like to be living with depression... Depression is being on the brink of tears because you dropped your mug of coffee, then not having the urge to clean up the mess, but rather...