YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Beany Boo, bless you. I like this idea for working. My boss is completely unhinged. I am 100% not joking when I say that she contributed to my PTSD. If it wasn't for the boss the work here would be pretty low key and a lot of fun; with the boss everything is of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE AND WE HAVE TO D...

Thank you both for the good advice and support. :) I'm learning more and more that it's okay to feel this way. I think it was on one of the podcast episodes I listened to recently that Paul mentioned something about the process of coming to terms with what happens to us. There's the deep depression,...

Mom is back in the hospital today. My sister sent me a txt message to let me know. Mom's legs are so swollen she couldn't get out of bed and in the ER her oxygen levels were going crazy. It's probably the same problems as before. I know that I am supposed to be upset, get in the car, come right to t...

My boss and my mom are both undiagnosed BPDs. If you met them, they are textbook BPD. TEXTBOOK. Particularly the boss, though I strongly suspect she knows. :D :| I want to preface this by saying that I empathize with them when it comes to mental health struggles. I know it's not their fault, that th...

Hey Atomic Cowgirl! Sorry for the delayed response—I'm still trying to figure out how the board works (which is hilarious considering I work with online/web platforms all day :) ). On codependency: OH GOD YES. I totally get what you mean on that. The first time my therapist mentioned the word bounda...

Thanks everyone. :) I finally came out of that dead-zone. It really does help to stop for a moment and really think about what is going on. Working outward, like HowDidIGetHere said. Being able to name it, identify it, or even just sit with the feelings for a little while helped a lot. I had to tell...

10. Skipping through all 6,000 songs on my iPod because I can't find JUST THE RIGHT FUCKING SONG I WANT TO HEAR. 9. I swear more. 8. I need a tire jack to get my back teeth to unclench. 7. 6,000 SONG AND I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING TO LISTEN TO? I need to go to Amazon right now and find something. 6. If y...

This is something that has been going on for a long time, and I know the root of it is in the way I was raised but: I have a hard time identifying emotions. It's such an odd thing to try and describe. It's like you know you're having an emotion yet somehow disconnected from it at the same time. Part...

I'm also kind of wary of the idea that you can adjust your diet to help regulate bipolar swings. Not that I don't think it can work for some people; I've just known a lot of people who use it as a reason to not get proper mental health care even when diet changes aren't having a positive effect. :\ ...

Her: Paternal grandmother who adopted me, undiagnosed BPD, mid-80s, crapton of health problems. Me: Adopted granddaughter, diagnosed bipolar II, one sister, one biological father. Be prepared for a complete word-barf: Adoptive Grand-Mom has always had health problems. Before I stopped drinking the &...