Stoicism for the BPD Brain | 10 Principles That Actually Work

Stoicism for the BPD Brain | 10 Principles That Actually Work

What if the most effective framework for BPD recovery was written by a former slave and a Roman emperor over 2,000 years ago? This episode is about Stoicism. Not the pop culture version that means suppressing your feelings and pretending nothing hurts, but the real thing. A practical, rigorous system of thought that maps onto what people with BPD struggle with most. The impulsivity. The fear of abandonment. The catastrophic interpretations. The feeling of being a slave to your emotions. I go through ten Stoic principles, each one mapped directly to the BPD experience, grounded in neuroscience. Because this isn't just philosophy. CBT was directly influenced by Stoic thought. DBT was built on CBT. Which means there's a direct line from Epictetus in the first century AD to the skills your therapist may have walked you through last week. 🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at bpddiariespodcast@gmail.com and let’s keep the conversation going. 🎧 Looking for meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out  Empowered Heroes Meditations  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify. If you’d like more support in your journey toward BPD recovery, Steff offers 1:1 sessions using evidence-based tools from DBT, Schema Therapy, and Mindfulness to help you heal. Email for a free 30-Minute Consultation:  📩 steff@bpdsupport.org or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org 📚 Referenced Research Includes: Aziz, A. (2025). The Application of Stoic Philosophy to Modern Emotional Regulation. Denny, B. T., Lopez, R. B., Wu-Chung, E. L., Dicker, E. E., Goodson, P. N., Fan, J., ... & Koenigsberg, H. W. (2024). Training in cognitive reappraisal normalizes whole-brain indices of emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 9(8), 819-826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.03.007 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.03.007] Zetsche, U., Bürkner, P. C., Bohländer, J., Renneberg, B., Roepke, S., & Schulze, L. (2024). Daily emotion regulation in major depression and borderline personality disorder. Clinical Psychological Science, 12(1), 161-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702623116070 [https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026231160709] Stoic Primary Texts (all public domain) Epictetus. The Enchiridion.  Marcus Aurelius. Meditations.  Seneca. Letters from a Stoic.    Further Reading  Robertson, D. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. Robertson, D. Stoicism and the Art of Happiness. Holiday, R. The Obstacle is the Way. Waltman, S. The Stoicism Workbook.

Psych Wards: A Lifeline or a Trap? | The Brutal Truth Nobody Tells You Before You Go In

If you have BPD, there's a good chance you've either been to a psychiatric hospital, or been told you should go. Maybe it helped. Maybe it made things worse. Maybe you left feeling more broken than when you arrived. In this episode, I want to give the full picture: • When is hospitalization genuinely helpful? • When is it actively harmful? • What does the research say? • What are your rights on the ward? • What are the alternatives? And I offer practical guidance: how to make the most of a hospital stay, what to ask for, and what to do when you're discharged. If you're in crisis, links to crisis resources are below. 🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at bpddiariespodcast@gmail.com and let’s keep the conversation going. 🎧 Looking for meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out  Empowered Heroes Meditations  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify. If you’d like more support in your journey toward BPD recovery, Steff offers 1:1 sessions using evidence-based tools from DBT, Schema Therapy, and Mindfulness to help you heal. Email for a free 30-Minute Consultation:  📩 steff@bpdsupport.org or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org Crisis Resources: UK: Samaritans - 116 123 | Crisis text line: text SHOUT to 85258 Ireland: Samaritans - 116 123 | Pieta House - 116 123 Australia: Lifeline - 13 11 14 | Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636 US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - call or text 988 International: findahelpline.com 📚 Referenced Research Includes: Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (1999). Effectiveness of partial hospitalization in the treatment of borderline personality disorder: a randomized controlled trial. American journal of Psychiatry, 156(10), 1563-1569. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.156.10.1563⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.156.10.1563]  Bloom, J. M., Woodward, E. N., Susmaras, T., & Pantalone, D. W. (2012). Use of dialectical behavior therapy in inpatient treatment of borderline personality disorder: a systematic review. Psychiatric Services, 63(9), 881-888. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201100311⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201100311]  Bodner, E., Cohen-Fridel, S., Mashiah, M., Segal, M., Grinshpoon, A., Fischel, T., & Iancu, I. (2015). The attitudes of psychiatric hospital staff toward hospitalization and treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. BMC psychiatry, 15(1), 2. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.156.10.1563⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.156.10.1563]  Broadbear, J. H., Dwyer, J., Bugeja, L., & Rao, S. (2020). Coroners’ investigations of suicide in Australia: The hidden toll of borderline personality disorder. Journal of psychiatric research, 129, 241-249. ⁠10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.007⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.007]  Katsakou, C., Marougka, S., Barnicot, K., Savill, M., White, H., Lockwood, K., & Priebe, S. (2012). Recovery in borderline personality disorder (BPD): a qualitative study of service users' perspectives. PloS one, 7(5), e36517. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036517⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036517]  Knaak, S., Szeto, A. C., Fitch, K., Modgill, G., & Patten, S. (2015). Stigma towards borderline personality disorder: effectiveness and generalizability of an anti-stigma program for healthcare providers using a pre-post randomized design. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 2(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-015-0030-0 Paris, J. (2004). Is hospitalization useful for suicidal patients with borderline personality disorder?. Journal of personality disorders, 18(3: Special issue), 240-247. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.18.3.240.35443⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.18.3.240.35443] Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety planning intervention: a brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk. Cognitive and behavioral practice, 19(2), 256-264. ⁠10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001]  Zanarini, M. C., Frankenburg, F. R., Hennen, J., Reich, D. B., & Silk, K. R. (2006). Prediction of the 10-year course of borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(5), 827-832. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.827⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.5.827]

99% Sought Help. Most Didn't Get It In Time | BPD Expert Dr Jillian Broadbear on Men with BPD, Suicide & What Needs to Change

99% of people with BPD who die by suicide sought help in the year before their death. 88% in the last six weeks. They were going to the right places - emergency departments, GPs, crisis services. The system failed them. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jillian Broadbear, researcher at Spectrum, Australia's leading personality disorder service, to ask the hard questions. She talks about why men are being left behind, what the suicide data actually says, and why self-compassion might be the unexpected key to recovery.  Plus, Dr. Broadbear shares an exclusive: Spectrum's new trial using MDMA-assisted therapy for people with BPD and complex trauma - a world-first that could change everything. For anyone who's ever felt invisible, misunderstood, or like giving up. This one's for you. "There are a lot of people who care. Don't give up. You are worth it." - Dr. Jillian Broadbear    🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at bpddiariespodcast@gmail.com and let’s keep the conversation going. 🎧 Looking for meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out  Empowered Heroes Meditations  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify. If you’d like more support in your journey toward BPD recovery, Steff offers 1:1 sessions using evidence-based tools from DBT, Schema Therapy, and Mindfulness to help you heal. Email for a free 30-Minute Consultation:  📩 steff@bpdsupport.org or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org 📚 Referenced Research Includes: Broadbear, J. H., Bhagwandas, M. G., Crowley, S., Cheney, L., & Rao, S. (2025). Exploring the pathways to diagnosis for men with borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 34(1), e13413. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13413Digital Object Identifier (DOI)⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13413] Broadbear, J. H., Dwyer, J., Bugeja, L., & Rao, S. (2020). Coroners’ investigations of suicide in Australia: The hidden toll of borderline personality disorder. Journal of psychiatric research, 129, 241-249.⁠10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.007⁠ [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.007] Donald, F., Lawrence, K. A., Broadbear, J. H., & Rao, S. (2019). An exploration of self-compassion and self-criticism in the context of personal recovery from borderline personality disorder. Australasian Psychiatry, 27(1), 56-59. 🔗 Links:  Spectrum Personality Disorder Service:  ⁠⁠spectrumbpd.com.au⁠⁠ [https://www.spectrumbpd.com.au/] Spectrum Annual Research Forum - November 6th, free and virtual

You Love Someone With BPD. Now What? | Honest Answers to What Loved Ones of People With BPD Ask Most

You love someone with BPD. But some nights, you lie awake wondering: • Do they actually love me? • Am I codependent or just a caring person? • Is this BPD or emotional abuse? • Should I stay or should I leave? • Why do they threaten suicide when I try to leave, and what do I actually do? These are some the questions partners, parents, and friends of people with BPD ask. Often with guilt. Often with exhaustion. Often without anyone giving them a straight answer. This episode answers some of the most common questions from loved ones. Not with easy answers, but with honesty and compassion for both sides. If you've ever felt like you're losing yourself while loving someone with BPD, this one is for you. [This is the second episode in my BPD Awareness Month series. You don't need to have heard Episode 1 to understand this one.] Family Connections: https://sashbear.org/family-connections/ 🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at bpddiariespodcast@gmail.com and let’s keep the conversation going. 🎧 Looking for meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out  Empowered Heroes Meditations  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify. If you’d like more support in your journey toward BPD recovery, Steff offers 1:1 sessions using evidence-based tools from DBT, Schema Therapy, and Mindfulness to help you heal. Email for a free 30-Minute Consultation:  📩 steff@bpdsupport.org or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

The Internet's Most Asked BPD Questions, Answered | People with BPD Edition

It's BPD Awareness Month. So I am doing something different. I keep seeing the same questions. Asked at 2am. Asked through tears. Asked by people who are exhausted, confused, and just want an honest answer. This episode answers 10 of the most common questions people with BPD actually ask, including: • Is it BPD or bipolar? • Why do I react so intensely even when I know better? • Am I a bad person because of what I've done during episodes?• Are people with BPD manipulative? • Why do I lie even about small things? • Why do I feel empty even when things are going okay? • What is a 'favorite person' and why does it hurt so much? • Why do I keep splitting on people I love and how do I stop? • Can I ever have a normal relationship? • Can I recover without DBT? I'm not just answering them. I'm showing you how to ask them better, because the way you ask a question changes what you can find. And at the end: a bonus question that almost no one is asking. The one that might matter more than all the others. This is for anyone with BPD who is tired of feeling like a problem to be solved and is ready to start building something worth living for. 🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at bpddiariespodcast@gmail.com and let’s keep the conversation going. 🎧 Looking for meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out  Empowered Heroes Meditations  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify. If you’d like more support in your journey toward BPD recovery, Steff offers 1:1 sessions using evidence-based tools from DBT, Schema Therapy, and Mindfulness to help you heal. Email for a free 30-Minute Consultation:  📩 steff@bpdsupport.org or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org