Your life worth living

Radical acceptance is the only way out of hell.

Dr. Marsha Linehan, a survivor of BPD

You read that right. It is here. Right here on this Earth. Those who know, they just know: It’s no exaggeration. It’s nothing supernatural, not an otherworldly plane. It is our very existence. Each and every day. A constant anguish, with no escape other than…

But wait, what if there is? What if there’s something you’ve missed? Hiding in plain sight? That you just have to come to realize? Like an escape route that you can access in this very moment? A way to a life, if not the one you so stubbornly demand of yourself, at least one worth living?

This newly translated guide will gradually instruct you to reflect on your own situation and learn ways to manage the overwhelm of your personal hell. As one who has found help in the Finnish language version of this treatment myself, I truly hope that it can guide you to a less excruciating tomorrow on this side of the Veil, as well. The guide (linked above) includes several practical exercises also posted here on this tumblr. These are best done by following certain basic principles listed below.

I. DO THE EXERCISES IN A QUIET, PEACEFUL SITUATION AND MOOD, if not in guidance of a professional therapist specialized in your situation. Some exercises transfer to the difficult situations in your daily life, but try to familiarize yourself with them before any crises emerge. And always keep in mind that in case the situation gets unbearable, don’t hesitate to contact your local helpline and access professional care.

II. DO THE EXERCISES PIECE BY PIECE OVER SEVERAL WEEKS TO GET THE BEST BENEFIT. Do not try to swallow the whole cake in one bite, as each of these exercises is quite a mouthful. This is in fact one of the most general mistakes with online self-help programmes! Each of these exercises can (and should!) arouse strong emotions and difficult issues that you need to tackle in order to get through to the other side of your pain. So take your time!

III. PRACTICE DAILY! Through some of the exercises you create simple guidelines to utilize in your personal, everyday life circumstances. Come back to your own, previous answers, your ”toolkit”, to reinforce your personal coping skills, wherever you are. So I recommend to keep them somewhere close.

Depending on your personal preferences, you can store your answers in a personal folder or use your social media channels or a blog to share your progress and/or spread the word of the programme to others. The tasks are implemented with many kinds of social preferences in mind, as fillable pdf’s or screenshottable images. Access all the programme exercises as pdf below.

See the guide for more background on the exercises!

”Can BPD be treated?”

With appropriate psychotherapeutic methods, the symptoms of BPD, as well as its side-effects, can be efficiently relieved and the everyday functioning of patients significantly improved. The therapy, however, has to be specifically tailored for BPD; a regular (conversational) therapy does not always help, and in some cases can even worsen the symptoms. —

The prognosis of BPD, according to these evidence-based practices, is in fact quite good. Within ten years time from initial diagnosis, only some patients fulfill the diagnostic criteria (results in the Finnish context). Full societal functioning might take a longer time to establish.

This self-help programme helps You get started with Your treatment by providing information on how to stabilize personal emotions. It is the first step towards Your personal life worth living. So let's get started!