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As I tossed a french fry into my mouth, I thought, "mmm . . . salty." In fact, it was too salty for my taste, but somehow I still enjoyed it. That's because certain foods affect humans in a manner similar to other addictive substances. The fries didn't even taste that good, and yet I kept eating them. This new research in food addiction may explain why.
Living with dissociative identity disorder (DID) can be a perplexing reality. There are many symptoms, including depersonalization and derealization. One symptom involves “losing time” or “blacking out” for periods of time. This happens with no drugs or alcohol in the system. It is scary to realize that you've lost time, and sometimes the person may not realize it at all.
My child with mental illness has experienced many unpleasant side effects from his psychiatric medications. They range from mild and unwelcome to intolerable and dangerous. During the early stages of my son Bob's treatment, I voiced my concern about side effects to my son's psychiatrist. He said, "Pick your poison." He meant I had to choose between horrific side effects of my child's psychiatric medications and my son's mental health. Ugh.
Good bye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be. ~ Walt Disney
Does the story of your life seem like it has gone by in a blink of an eye? Does goodbye seem like forever? Does farewell seem like the end?
![Mary Hofert Flaherty, author of More Than Borderline, shares her struggles with borderline personality disorder and borderline personality disorder recovery.](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_listing/public/uploads/2015/01/Mary-Hofert-234x325.jpg?itok=AEF9HWPV "About Mary Hofert Flaherty, Author of "More Than Borderline"")
Hi, my name is Mary Hofert Flaherty. I was born and raised in a Chicago suburb and moved to Hawaii six years ago where I am currently studying law. Prior to Hawaii, I lived in a conservative area of Michigan where I started college at 18. It was there, during my first year, that I became severely depressed and sought professional, psychiatric help. Unfortunately, it took eight years of regular therapy and psychiatric care from an assortment of professionals in three states—including an inpatient admission following a suicide attempt—to find the correct diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.
More times than not, those who self-harm have incredibly low self-esteem and self-confidence and have an "everyone hates me" mindset. This can often route from struggles with depression and anxiety, which is common in the self-harm realm. At times, those who feel this way may stretch what they see to be the truth – meaning that while they see everyone as hating them, those around them really don’t feel that way. Since this is common amongst those who self-harm and battle mental health demons, it also means it could take many years before they begin to gain some sort of positive self-concept.
Want to feel calmer in situations that bring up anxiety? Whether its speaking up to your boss, taking a test, or leaving your house all of these situations can bring about anxiety for people. Try these simple and effective mindfulness techniques to help you feel more confident and calm in anxious situations.
Recently TheAtlantic.com published an article titled, Should the US Bring Back Psychiatric Asylums? The article talks about the cynicism surrounding long-term psychiatric facilities, the consequences of de-institutionalization (homelessness and incarceration), as well as the need for such psychiatric facilities. So the question is, should we open more long-term psychiatric facilities?
If you've considered going to an addiction recovery meeting as a newcomer and changed your mind because you're afraid of who might be there, you're not alone. I'm often asked, "What kind of people come to recovery meetings? Do you feel safe there?" and so on. Mainly these questions are posed to me by people who have never seen skid-row -- let alone mixed in with the "wrong crowd" or got caught up in a bar fight. Because of the stigma associated with addicts, I understand why outsiders may assume that everyone in recovery meetings are seedy, untrustworthy, and dangerous people, but most people are not like that. These personal safety tips for newcomers to recovery meetings may make you feel more safe.
In 2012, my weight was out of control, my eating was out of control, and I had failed every diet that I had been on in the last 20 years, including a starvation diet. I was lost as to what to do next. But I went to an informational session for bariatric surgery, and let's just say, it changed my life.
I believe she will only be able to rid herself of her demons, and hopefully her BPD as well, when she's ready to confront the abuse of her father. If she can put the blame where it belongs, she may stop projecting that victim/perpetrator cycle on the present men in her life. These demons are a metaphor for the purgatory she has created for herself. That reality has consequences in the real world, but it need not be real in the tangible sense. Exorcising her demons will require the expenditure of real physical energy and probably the destruction of aspects of her personality. If this ever happens, and it's possible but not probable, then these demons will evaporate. They are only as real as one's personality is real. In short, reality is not the question, it's what you make of the things you feel to be real.