One of the biggest problems when it comes to treating people with BPD is the sheer number of combinations of symptoms people can have. When it comes to one-to-one therapy it takes me at least 4-6 weeks to full diagnose someones exact issues and formulate a full plan ahead especially when they come to me with BPD. So as you might imagine it will be a lot harder for you reading these self-help pages because I can’t sit down with you and target the exact issues that are causing you some distress in life. So the best way to counteract this is to tell you to try all that I know, all the things you think might help to heal yourself, like all those weird therapies you have not even heard of…
If you look around online trying to find the answer to the question “what is the best therapy for BPD?” you will nearly always read that it is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). But most therapists like myself will not stick to just DBT teachings to help cure people because everyone is different and will heal in different ways. Some respond better to homework, some respond better to music-based therapy. Every year I try to learn a new form of therapy even if it’s a bit new-age and alternative because that method might help someone. Given the fact that I can’t target your own personal issues, the best thing I can suggest is that if you feel these DBT self-help pages are not working, simply try something else!
With so many alternative therapies out there which one would you go for? dance therapy? music therapy? Maybe even laughter therapy! (yes that is a real thing). But there are also other mainstream therapies like CBT and Person-Centered Therapy to try. One of the best tips I have read for finding the right face to face therapist is to find one that you enjoy talking to. You like their smile, you like their office and will feel comfortable telling them your deepest, darkest issues. But the same goes for picking the right sort of therapy. If you don’t understand DBT and feel it is getting you nowhere, just try something else! Sure, DBT like these pages are the most suggested because they get the best results, but it doesn’t mean it is your only option.
Oddly, have studied and practised over 30 different forms of therapy you will be surprised at the number of them that have core DBT teachings hidden inside of them. Sadly if you are reading these self-help pages you might be struggling to afford to do anything else and that will limit your possibilities. But buying a book on different therapies won’t cost that much or there are also plenty of YouTube videos for you to watch for free. In fact, with a good look around online, you can find many self-help pages on other therapies.
The simple truth is that there is no harm in trying other forms of therapy. Sure, they might not help, but you would have lost nothing for trying. I have personally seen people with BPD benefit from the weekend wilderness therapy services that I offer and that is just essentially getting out into the wilderness for a weekend camping (OK, so there is a little more to it than that). Don’t be afraid to tell yourself that any form of therapy isn’t working for you, even these self-help pages. It doesn’t mean all is lost, it just means you haven’t found the right path for you yet.
