I am leading a Yin Yoga + Deep Relaxation class for my Buddhist group so I decided to record a Deep Relaxation Meditation for the podcast aswell. This meditation is focused on relaxing the body and creating more awareness of our internal feelings and sensations; it is typically done in a lying down position and can be a great practice to utilize when we are experiencing stress or anxiety. The actual meditation begins at the 4minute mark. Thank you for letting me share this beautiful practice with you 🖤💮

In today's episode, I sat down with Elyse Brouhard (@elyse_brouhard on Instagram) to talk about her zine, Handle with Care: Living and Coping with Borderline Personality Disorder. I reached out to Elyse over DM and I am so happy we got to have this conversation about her creative process and daily life living with BPD. If you want to check out the zine, it can be found on the Microcosm Publishing website https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/14497 where you can purchase a physical copy. Submissions are still open for the online gallery that I mentioned in the last mini episode so if you want more information or to submit some art / writing pieces, head over to my Instagram @journey.bound and you can find all the information there. I hope our conversation helps you to feel less alone and you know that I am supporting you on your mental health journey 🖤💗

Hiya! This bonus episode is to let you know about the online gallery I am hoping to create called You and Me and BPD: Collective Stories. If you have any digital art, poems, short stories, or mixed media pieces associated with your experiences with BPD, I would be honoured if you submitted them using this form https://form.jotform.com/222973735144258 or go to the Linktree in my Bio on Instagram (@journey.bound ). There is a pinned post on my instagram profile for more information, but also feel free to reach out and DM me if you want clarification or need some assistance. The form will be open until December 31st, 2022 and can be done anonymously if you are worried about speaking openly about your experiences. Thanks for listening and talk to you soon 💗

This episode is all about love, specifically focusing on some of the issues that people with BPD face when they are trying to find romantic relationships. This topic is often spoken about from a very bias opinion, painting a picture of toxic relationships that are a direct result of BPD but I think it's important to note that many times, people with mental illnesses can be the victims of abusers and those who try to take advantage of our negative mental states. Obviously it's impossible to cover all aspects of why finding love is so hard for people with BPD but I try to give some reasoning behind why we might act the way we do, especially when it comes to being paranoid about people leaving us. The fear of abandonment is something that comes from deep within us, usually as a result of tumultuous childhood's and low self esteem. If we give our worth to someone else - putting them up on a pedestal where their love is all that matters - we might find ourselves feeling broken when we recognize that they can't fix us... They are human. Humans are not perfect, even if we desperately want them to be. The ability to change and grow is something that has to be supported. If you want to talk about this episode or just want to reach out, you can find me on instagram @journey.bound 🌸 I hope you find love that doesn't hurt you but helps you to heal and grow 🖤

In this episode, Jay joins me to discuss what Self Harm is and why people engage with this type of activity. This episode might be triggering to those who are not ready for this type of honest discussion so please be safe and feel free to skip this episode if you find at any point you are feeling overwhelmed 💗 We will be discussing some statistics that can be found in the Self Harm Toolkit https://www.suicideinfo.ca/local_resource/self-harm-and-suicide/ and talk about our own experiences with self harming in the form of cutting. According to researchers, 65-80% of people with BPD have used self harming as a form of emotional regulation, although it is important to remember that self harm can also be a symptom for other mental health illnesses such as depression or PTSD. As I hope we have explained, there are many reasons why people self harm and it is my goal that we continue to have these types of honest conversations to allow people to feel less stigmatized if they need professional help. Feelings are hard to manage alone so please don't hesitate to reach out on my instagram @journey.bound if you want to talk or need some more resources. I hope you know you are not alone in any of your struggles and I hope you find ways to experience this beautiful life in a way that is loving towards yourself and your body 🖤

*Please forgive my bad editing skills at the beginning* In this episode, I speak about my struggle to find meaningful work and how working can be hard for those with mental health disabilities. I haven't worked since mid-2020 and not working causes me a lot of anxiety, but trying to find a job that works for my physical and mental limitations is incredibly hard for me to find. A lot of people have a lot of opinions about why people choose not to work, but I honestly think working just doesn't seem fulfilling to some people and we could benefit a lot more from community based activities rather than trying to find a job to fill our days. Towards the end of this episode I speak a little more openly about my own thoughts and struggles so I hope this helps you to know that you are not alone if you are in the same boat. Life is hard my friends, so feel free to reach out on my instagram @journey.bound if you feel like you need someone to talk to. I'm not an expert about this topic but I try to speak openly and honestly so hopefully something in this is meaningful to you.

Here are some helplines if you feel triggered by this episode •TALK SUICIDE CANADA #1-833-456-4566 (45645 for text) •SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE in America #988 to connect with a local Suicide prevention helpline •UK SUICIDE PREVENTION PHONE LINE #0800-689-5652. In this episode, we talk about the differences between Passive suicidal ideation and Active suicidal thoughts. We discuss some of the reasons people might choose to commit suicide, as well as how prevalent suicidal thoughts can be for people living with BPD. Many of us living with trauma will experience suicidal ideation - especially during times of heightened emotional distress - but we need to find people we can trust to speak only about what we are experiencing and even set a safety plan in place if we feel like we cannot handle our own inner thoughts. There should never be shame associated with speaking openly so I hope this conversation can help you to feel motivated to seek professional help if that is what you need. I want you to be here with me so feel free to reach out at any point over on my instagram @journey.bound and I can send you some resources or helplines. We are in this life together and I hope you know how important you are 🖤

In this episode, I try to contextualize the idea of Spiraling and how it can lead to what some people call a 'BPD Episode.' Spiraling, to me, is kind of like falling down the rabbit hole; it usually begins when I experience some negative self talk and can lead to feelings of existential dread or overwhelming sadness. For many people, Spiraling leads to 'Episodes;' times where we might lash out against others or experience rage because we have been triggered and don't know how to engage in safe emotional regulation. Episodes can last from a few minutes to sometimes hours or days, causing increased stress and physical exhaustion. In my experiences, it's important that I meet my spiraling with a lot of self compassion; remembering that I have experienced many of the same emotions before and providing myself the time to really sit with how I am feeling in a safe and mindful way. Therapy and having a safety plan if we become overwhelmed can be extremely helpful if you are just beginning to pay attention to your triggers and what an episode is like. BPD is a very individualized disorder; what works for one of us might not work for others so open communication is extremely important if you want to know how to help someone when they begin to spiral. Always remember that asking for help is a very brave thing to do; you are never alone in your struggles to get better. I am right there with you. If you want to reach out about this episode or just to talk, message me on instagram @journey.bound ❤️

In this episode, I sit down with Alicen - @alicenricard on instagram - who is one of the co-hosts of the Not Enough Spoons podcast. Alicen wrote an article called "To Those Who Don't Understand My Favourite Person Relationship (2020)" which I found when I was researching my Favourite Person episode from a while ago. I reached out to Alicen in May and asked her to be a part of the podcast so we could further discuss what a Favourite Person is and how to navigate this often intense relationship. I am so thankful to Alicen for sharing her time and experiences with me during this conversation. If you want to reach out to her, you can get in contact through the Not Enough Spoons Podcast page on instagram or message her directly. As always, I am sending you so much loving energy and hope that you gain some insight through this episode. If you want to be a guest or have any questions/comments, feel free to message me @journey.bound on instagram.

In this episode, I speak about the topic of Identity Disturbance; a clinical term used to describe the chronic symptom of unstable identity. Many people with BPD struggle with feelings of Identity Disturbance; they might feel like they don't understand who or why they are the way they are, and thus might start to self identify with things or people around them as they morph into a different version of their 'self'. I've struggled with this for most of my life; constantly trying to find something to ground my identity with so that I can feel more secure in who I am and how I exist in this world. I recently realized that this kind of fragmented self is who I am; I can't keep hoping or wishing I will become a less 'broken' individual. Self compassion is honestly one of the hardest lessons to learn because the world we live in is not built for those of us who live with trauma. This episode is very honest so if it resonates with you, feel free to reach out on my Instagram @journey.bound ; I hope you know that you are never alone and I love you with all your fragmented parts 🖤