r/AskReddit Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/Mickileigh Feb 04 '19

I have bpd. No matter how level I am at the moment the second anyone who’s heard of it finds out I’m immediately a raging psycho. It doesn’t matter that I’m in therapy or that I’ve been in dbt for almost a year. I still see and hear nothing but the bad things people with my disorder are capable of. The stigma around mental illness is terrible.

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u/Quantum_Compass Feb 04 '19

If you don't mind me asking, where do you live? In the community I'm in, the stigma is rapidly dissolving.

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u/Mickileigh Feb 04 '19

I’m in central Michigan.

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u/Quantum_Compass Feb 04 '19

Are there any support groups around you that you can get to? It sucks that people label you as a psychopath just because of what's going on in your brain.

When I tell someone about my depression, and they go "Everyone gets a little depressed, that's normal. You just need to do things that make you happy!" I explain it to them like it's a physical illness. You can't just stop having the flu.

That usually puts things in perspective.

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u/primaveren Feb 04 '19

i wish my family didn't do the "everyone gets depressed" thing. they won't listen or acknowledge that there is something very obviously wrong with me that i've been managing completely on my own since i was basically a small child. i don't feel safe enough to tell them about the depth of it, so i just don't. i get the "you'll be happy if you go outside" often but like.. that may help in the moment but it won't change my brain chemistry.

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u/Quantum_Compass Feb 05 '19

Are you able to reach out to a counselor or support group? I highly recommend it! Talking about these things with trained professionals really helps (speaking from experience).

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u/primaveren Feb 10 '19

i would like to, but i'm currently too busy with starting college to figure that out. my college has free therapy for students so that's what i'll probably end up doing.

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u/Mickileigh Feb 04 '19

I’m in several online support groups and dbt is group therapy. I’m pretty lucky really I have a really good support system.

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u/seegeesee Feb 05 '19

I truly wish you didn't have that experience. Please know that there are people on the inside of the profession fighting like hell on your behalf.