Podcasts Health Hope to Recharge Borderline Personality Disorder: The Road After Discovery (Debbie DeMarco Bennett)

Borderline Personality Disorder: The Road After Discovery (Debbie DeMarco Bennett)

Published: Oct. 13, 2021, 4:18 p.m.

b'

In 2010, Debbie DeMarco Bennett learned that she had borderline personality disorder, (BPD) was in and out of psychiatric hospitalizations, frequently threatening suicide, unable to keep a job and her relationships were very hot and very cold. Having grown up in the foster care system and being placed in group homes, she worked with her psychiatrist and therapist at the health organization Kaiser, where she received her diagnosis of BPD. Her psychiatrist introduced her to Dialectical Behavior Therapy, (DBT), and after she enrolled into treatment, she realized that she was not crazy, but rather, was just someone who felt deeply, intensely, and never really learned how to manage, when difficulty surfaced.

DBT is a set of skills that helps people who have difficulty regulating their emotions to be able to learn how to do things in ways that allow them to create what is known as a life worth living and learning how to tolerate distress. It comprises different tools to accomplish this, including a large component of mindfulness, and is geared especially for those that have complex trauma and have difficulty regulating their emotions

After 2 years, Debbie was technically classified as "in recovery" and continued the process of rebuilding herself. Debbie discusses her early years in Episode 152 found here: https://hopetorecharge.com/episode/borderline-personality-disorder-the-road-to-recovery-debbie-demarco-bennett/, which is fascinating.

She continued attending DBT for another 5 years and was able to maintain her friendship with someone with whom she had been in a relationship for 10 years. As a milestone, they proudly just celebrated their 20 years of friendship. During her years working with DBT, she felt confident in her ability to heal and was certain that she would find the right person, even setting the table for 2 when she\'d make dinner alone, thinking how one day, she won\'t be eating alone. Debbie attributes her ability to effectively communicate to the BPD skills she mastered.

While going to DBT groups, taking notes and documenting every word of\\xa0Dr. Marsha Linehan, knowing that healing comes in community, that sharing and realizing you\'re not alone and supporting each other, she started a DBT program, despite working a job. Although the initial turnout was low, Debbie pushed forward and as DBT awareness grew, albeit through Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga speaking publicly about it, Debbie started an online platform, Emotionallysensitive.com. Today, there are students in 44 countries ranging in age from 15 to 80. Enrolled students participate in 12 week-long modules with weekly lecture-style classes, zoom workshops that include mindfulness, DBT skills discussions and somatics. Student have access to a variety of additional resource material, receive guidance from the DBT Path Team and connect with other sharing students in a forum supervised with compassion by a moderator, all with privacy, set boundaries, and guidelines.

Emotionallysensitive.com doesn\'t just offer sympathy, empathy and understanding through years of experience. It allows students to share and rebuild using the power of the community and acquire DBT skills for life. It isn\'t uncommon for new students filled with despair and pain to lash out personally at Debbie, but she often gets apology emails as those students grow and practice their new DBT skills, as time moves on. Debbie often refers partners, parents, siblings and children of those suffering from BPD to psychotherapist Amanda Smith at hopeforbpd.com who runs online groups to help them cope with those stresses and to learn the "language" of BPD.

Debbie\'s intention, is that people who have been suffering with BPD, who have been cast aside, disregarded or feared, or that people just didn\'t know how to support them, are clearly feeling seen, heard, loved and supported in the community.

Is DBT right for you? Let us know! We\'d love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Thank you for listening to Hope to Recharge! If we are important to you, help us out and Leave us a review on iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-to-recharge/id1464788845. It makes a huge difference!

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Work 1 on 1 with Matana - With our 1 on 1 coaching program, you can work directly with Matana. Get a\\xa0free 30-minute fitting tryout call to see if this is right for you. You do not have to walk through your mental health struggle alone. Because as always, together is better!

There is no substitute for a listening ear. Get Your Free 30 Minute, 1 on 1 Consultation Today.

https://hopetorecharge.com/1on1/

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

As we all know, sharing can help others. We are here to support each other and to learn from each other. In mental health, Together is better.

If you need more support in your mental health journey please reach out to us in our private Facebook group.

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Interested in joining our monthly Mastermind Group?\\xa0

Find out more info here! www.hopetorecharge.com/Mastermind

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Connect with Debbie:

Emotionallysensitive.com

Phone: 415-326-DBT5

Email: admin@emotionallysensitive.com

Facebook:@EmotionallySensitive.DBTpath

Twitter: @dbtpath

YouTube: DBTPath

Pinterest: DBT Path

Instagram: @dbtpath

Debbie\\u2019s Blog: Healing from BPD

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Links Mentioned:

Emotionallysensitive.com

Episode 152 with Debbie: http://hopetorecharge.com/episode/borderline-personality-disorder-the-road-to-recovery-debbie-demarco-bennett/

Dr. Marsha Linehan: behavioraltech.org/

Dr. Marsha Linehan: behavioraltech.org/

Psychotherapist Amanda Smith:hopeforbpd.com

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Quotes:

  • \\u201cIf you notice yourself starting to get stressed, there are skills to use in that moment to keep yourself from escalating and to keep yourself feeling regulated.\\u201d @DebbieDeMarcoBennett @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
  • \\u201cI wasn\'t crazy. I was just someone who felt deeply, intensely, and never really learned how to manage.\\u201d\\xa0@DebbieDeMarcoBennett @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
  • \\u201cMany of us were never taught how to manage and then we\'re given this gift of DBT.\\u201d @DebbieDeMarcoBennett @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
  • \\u201cIt was really rebuilding and finding your true self because for 18 years, you didn\'t even know who you were.\\u201d @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
  • \\u201cWhen you\'re evolving, you\'re attracting a different person for what you will be eventually.\\u201d @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge
  • \\u201cThere\'s such shame. There\'s such stigma. There\'s such fear. But I think Dr. Marshall Linehan is brought a gift to the world of hope.\\u201d @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Topics Discussed:

  • Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy after a diagnosis of BPD
  • The power of healing in a community
  • Coping with emotions
  • BPD, DBT and relationships
  • Taking the first steps after awareness

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Suicide Hotlines:

USA: 1-800-273-8255

USA Crisis (Text): 741-741

Canada: 1-833-456-4566

United Kingdom: 116-123

Australia: 13-11-14

International Suicide Hotlines:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Connect with us!

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

3 WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP THE PODCAST:

1) Subscribe via iTunes and leave a review.\\xa0It costs nothing. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-to-recharge/id1464788845

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

2) Spread the word via social media.\\xa0It costs nothing.

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

3) Subscribe to us on:

\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014\\u2014

Today\\u2019s episode of Hope to Recharge is sponsored by Emotionallysensitive.com

Emotionallysensitive.com offers entirely online DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) skills classes for those who experience intense or dysregulated emotions. Our psychoeducational courses are taught by our founder, a peer in recovery from borderline personality disorder, and a licensed DBT-trained psychotherapist. Learning and practicing DBT skills can help create balance within us as well as in our relationships of all kinds (family, friends, workplace, romantic, etc..), and help those of us with intense emotions -- whether it\\u2019s from borderline personality disorder, bipolar, PTSD, anxiety, or other reasons, to create the lives we want and deserve. Enrollment opens soon. Sign up now at\\xa0www.emotionallysensitive.com



Support this podcast at \\u2014 https://redcircle.com/hope-to-recharge/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands'