This will be the last episode of this podcast until the Spring.

I hope that I will find the time and energy to continue making episodes in the new year but for now, I am so so sooooo thankful to be given the space to share my experiences and talk so openly about the topic of mental health. This podcast was started all the way back in 2020 and I can't believe that it has grown into the thing it is today.

There are a lot of things in my life that require my attention right now but if you listen to this episode, please head over to my instagram @journey.bound and say hi on the pinned post. I would love to see who is listening to this and what you think :).

Sending my kindness and love to you in all forms. You are never alone in any struggle.

In this episode, I sat down with Sara from the Bold Beautiful Borderline podcast to talk about her work as a therapy provider while living with BPD (and other co-morbid diagnosis'). Sara joined me virtually and we chatted about why she chose the field of Social Work, how her lived experiences influence the work she does, and how we can handle the balance of taking care of our mental health while also working in a helping profession. Towards the end of our conversation, Sara mentioned a group that she facilitates called Super Feelers that might interest some of you who need support in a group setting (more information can be found on the website for her podcast boldbeautifulborderline.com) 💗 If you want to reach out to Sara, she can be found on instagram @saraswellnessway or on the page for her podcast @boldbeautifulborderline 🖤

In this episode, I explain some of the things I've learned about living with panic attacks and how to manage their aftermath. The first part of this episode details some core DBT Skills that I've begun to incorporate into my daily routines to help with my understanding of where anxiety exists in my body, and how to manage my anxiety levels. I am a sensory seeking individual so many of these tips have to do with touching parts of your body or using cold water to facilitate a deeper sense of calm within my being. My therapist has suggested the use of TIPP skills to ease my anxious thoughts so I tried to share a couple that I've found to be beneficial. After a quick discussion about how I experience anxiety attacks, I speak on what things I need after I have experienced these intense emotional outbursts. Every person who lives with anxiety will experience it differently so please take this episode as a conversation starter for you to begin to understand how you can better support yourself or others. As always, my Instagram DMs are open for discussions or simply to say hi so please do not hesitate to reach out @journey.bound 💗 Anxiety is a very common symptom of mental illness but not everyone feels comfortable talking so openly about how it manifests for them. You do not need to struggle alone my friends.

In this episode, Jay and I sat down to talk openly about what sex and intimacy mean in our marriage. While this episode doesn't directly cover topics pertaining to BPD, I hope that this type of honest conversation about my panic attacks and how we navigate engaging in sex can open the door for you to talk more openly to your partner(s) about how you view your own sexual needs. Consent should always be the foundation of any healthy relationship and communication about what you enjoy or how things have changed for you is an integral part of building an intimate partnership. I know it can be hard to talk openly about sex so if you are struggling to know what to say or how to ask for what you want, please know you are not alone in that. It's taken many years for me to even begin to be comfortable speaking about my sex life and I hope this episode serves as a reminder that there is no one-way-fits-all when it comes to engaging in sex with your partner(s). As always, if you have any recommendations for episode suggestions please reach out on my Instagram @journey.bound and we can talk.

Hello and welcome back to the podcast! I can't believe this has been going on since 2020 and people still want to hear what I have to say but I am so thankful for every person who has given me the space to express myself through this medium. This season will definitely be more real and raw, more authentic to where I am in life and how I am navigating the world. I hope you join me on this next season and maybe learn a thing or two about how to manage your own mental health. If you want to reach out to talk or be a guest on the podcast, please contact me through Instagram @journey.bound ✨ I say this every time but I truly love you and think you have so much to offer to this world just by being who you are. See you in the next episode.

Thank you for every bit of support and love that you have shown me and this podcast. I hope that my experiences and sharing has helped you to feel less alone and find more self compassion on this healing path. This episode is an end to Season Four and encapsulates some of the lessons I've been learning throughout this year. I truly never expected this podcast to be something that I would continue to create past the first season so to get to the end of season four is truly remarkable to me. As I enter my time of rest for the winter, I am sending you all positive thoughts and loving kindness to carry you into the new year. If you have any suggestions for new episodes for next season, or just want to reach out to chat, feel free to connect with me over on my Instagram @journeh.bound 💞 May you accept change in every way it manifests in your life. See you in 2024.

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. I decided to record this episode to share some things I've learned about living with BPD, mainly targeted towards those who are just beginning to explore their own mental health, i.e teens/early 20s folks, and might need some encouragement. I asked people on my Instagram stories @journey.bound for things they'd want to tell their younger self and formed this episode out of those replies. If you walk away with anything from this talk, I hope it is to remember to be kind to yourself and know that you are not alone. Sometimes when we are struggling, we think that no one else can possibly understand what is going on with us but that isn't true; so many people are feeling overwhelmed with life and the more we open up about our struggles, the more we can lean on each other for support. You are TRULY not alone. I love you for all that you are and all you will be 💕

*TRIGGER WARNING : Talk of Religious Ideology & Childhood Religious Teachings* In today's episode, I sat down with Becca to discuss the way that religious ideologies - specifically from a Christian perspective - can impact our mental health journeys. This topic was requested from a listener of the podcast and although it is not specifically related to BPD, the religious trauma that many of us live with can impact the way we heal and understand the role of mental health in our lives. Religious Trauma is a very nuanced topic so I approached Becca with the hope that her lived experiences, combined with her psychotherapy background, would provide a solid ground on how to speak about ways people can learn to rewrite the narratives they were told for most of their lives. Although we do critique the Christian religion, this episode is not meant to sway your opinion or make you feel like you have to step away from your faith; if anything, I hope this episode will show you that healing comes in many forms and sometimes the religious teachings we heard when we were younger might impede our healing process. If you have any more ideas for episodes or simply want to share your own experiences, please reach out on my Instagram @journey.bound 🌸 Thank you again to Becca for being a part of this discussion, you can reach her directly at beccasawyertherapy@gmail.com if you want any more resources or to check in with what she offers. One Final Note : You & Me & BPD just reached 70k listens and I hope you know I truly appreciate all the love and support that you have brought my way. This community is resilient and strong and so worthwhile so Thank you deeply 🖤🖤🖤

This episode is heavily inspired by the discography of Mitski, specifically the songs Love Me More, Nobody, and Should've Been Me. I decided to record this episode because romantic love is something that many of us crave or struggle to find, and I often get messages from listeners who are looking for advice on how to navigate their own relationships. In my personal life, the feeling of wanting to be loved pops up every once in a while and sometimes I feel ashamed or embarrassed that I crave so much love; sometimes it makes me feel weak or unworthy. When these craving feelings appear, I try to remind myself that self love is an important aspect to feeling fulfilled by relationships; we can't expect other people to fill us up when we don't know how to love ourselves and our flaws. This episode is very rambly but if you want to talk about Mitski or have any comments, feel free to message me on instagram @journey.bound ❤️ Sending you so much love friend.

*Trigger Warning : Discussion of Childhood Emotional Neglect* In this episode, we discuss the correlation between childhood neglect/abuse and the development of BPD. It is estimated that 30-90% of people with BPD have trauma relating to their childhood experiences so it is super important to be able to speak about our early memories as we begin to unpack our mental health. I will be drawing information about childhood development from my own background in the world of Early Childhood Education but I will also reference some information that can be found in a Front Psychiatry paper published in 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8495240/ This episode will focus specifically around the topic of understanding Childhood Emotional Neglect as defined and explained by Healthline.com and I will share some of the experiences from my own childhood memories. Due to the trauma that I experienced, I have lapses of my childhood that I can't remember so therapy has been a huge benefit for me to speak openly about what happened and how to understand it wasn't my fault. Childhood Emotional Neglect is a tough conversation to tackle but I hope this conversation leaves you feeling seen and supported. As always, you can reach out on my Instagram @journey.bound if you want to talk 🌸 Sending you so much love and kindness.

In this episode, I sat down with Carly Krespan to talk about JDM Psychology and how it relates to Executive Dysfunction. Carly is a JDM specialist living with BPD and other comorbidities working as a health coach and career development advisor. Our conversation focused around explaining heuristics and how they function in our everyday life, as well as some of the ways that BPD has affected Carly in her past and present. Carly reached out to me over instagram and I really appreciate her willingness to have this conversation about the similarities between DBT therapy and JDM Psychology, as well as how a combination of both can be beneficial to us who struggle with making decisions and being effective in our planning. If you want to reach out to Carly she is available on Instagram and Facebook under the name @daturadxm or you can go to her website daturadxm.com directly. Carly has also been recently published in the Medical Education journal and you can find her article by looking up the title "Borderline Doctor: A Medical Students Struggle with Mental Health and Stigmatization (2023)." Thank you again to Carly for reaching out and being a part of the podcast.

In this episode, I try to provide an overview of what Executive Dysfunction is and some of the ways that it impacts our ability to function in our daily lives. To be honest, I struggled to make this episode because I found myself wondering how I could explain something that I personally struggle to accept within myself but I hope that presenting my thoughts has enabled you to feel more seen and validated in your own struggles for acceptance. Executive Dysfunction is sometimes labeled as "laziness" to those who don't understand how hard it can be to actually do the things that we know we need to do, which can cause further stigmatization when we feel like we are a failure for not being as capable as others. In reality, a lot of us are trying really hard to stay motivated and hopefully this conversation can be a catalyst for you to research more about this topic and allow yourself to find compassion during the times when you are really struggling. If you want to reach out, my Instagram messages are always open @journey.bound 🌸 Sending you so much loving kindness on this path of understanding.

In this very rambly episode, the conversation is focused on two important aspects of what it means to look for therapy 1. An explanation of different types of therapies that have been proven to be effective for the treatment of BPD and 2. Tips from my own personal experiences with therapy of what to look for in a good therapist. In the middle of this episode I mention the website I have used to find my own therapists, psychologytoday.com , but of course there are many other places you can find therapists online or in person. I do want to acknowledge how inaccessible therapy can be in terms of the economic toll sessions carry so I hope you can find good support systems in your life if you are unable to find an affordable therapist at this time. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to talk about anything I mentioned @journey.bound on Instagram and I can try to help as best as I can 🖤

In this episode, I speak about some tips to keep in mind as we begin to have conversations around our mental health struggles. So many of the messages I get about this podcast are from people who don't know how to explain their mental health to others so I figured it might be worthwhile to share some tips on things to keep in mind when you are wanting to begin talking about your own mental health. Here's a quick summary of some of the key points - 1. Find connections with other people who speak about experiences similar to your own i.e watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, look up hashtags on social media etc. 2. Think about the intention behind what you want to say; what are the reasons you want this conversation to happen and who do you want it to happen with? 3. Figure out what form of communication is best for you i.e writing a letter, texting, talking over the phone or email, or in person. Everyone has different ideas of what is comfortable so take the time to think about the different ways you might explain things to different people in your life. 4. Set a clear goal of what you want this conversation to lead to; do you simply want this other person to understand you better? Are you hoping they can be a supportive person during your struggles? 5. Remember to keep in mind the religious/cultural traditions of others and think about how much detail you want to give this other person. It's important to note that not everyone will have the same capacity for understanding so keeping yourself safe is key. I hope something in this episode is helpful for you and I hope this can encourage you to begin to open up to the people in your life. No one deserves to struggle alone and I am rooting for you to find happiness in this life 🖤

In this episode, I talk about the recovery process for BPD and how remission is possible over a long period of time. Do I think that BPD can be "Cured"? No. But I hope that this episode allows you to see how we can better understand the process of healing from this disorder and know that we are not alone in our struggles. Here are the links to the research papers I reference: 2015 Paper about Life Experiences with BPD https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.1177/070674371506000702 2019 Paper about Recovery from BPD https://bpded.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40479-019-0107-2#:~:text=Longitudinal%20studies%20have%20demonstrated%20that,and%2099%25%20%5B1%5D If you are interested in contacting me, you can reach out on my instagram @journey.bound 💕 I love getting messages and knowing what types of topics you might be interested in hearing. Sending you all so much love as we walk through life together.

In today's episode, I sat down with Sorcha - @sorchaminc on instagram - to speak about her diagnosis journey and how she understands BPD in her every day life. We touched on a variety of different topics ranging from her experiences with talk therapy to how we can better have compassion for ourselves when we experience tough emotions like anger or anxiety. I hope that you can listen to our conversation and find some pockets of wisdom in what we both share. As always, I appreciate you for being on this journey to healing with me and I hope that hearing Sorcha's experiences can help you to feel less alone if you are just beginning to explore how you can understand your own mental health. Feel free to reach out to me on instagram @journey.bound if you want to talk or have any episode suggestions. Sending you all so many virtual hugs 💕

Hello! Welcome Back to Season Four 😁 today's episode is a short introduction to some of the things I have planned for the next season of the podcast. I am super excited to record episodes again and also to announce that the Collective Stories Gallery is now live! It is best formatted to view on a laptop/computer as some of the pictures get cropped on mobile - collectivestoriesgallery.carrd.co - I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to those who submitted their pieces for this gallery and am so excited to see what this project becomes. As always, feel free to reach out on my instagram if you want to chat or have any episode suggestions @journey.bound 🖤 Thank you for much for being on this wild ride with me ☺️

Hello! This is the end of Season Three!!! Thank you so much for supporting this journey and being with me as we unpack mental health issues and learn to find some more compassion for ourselves. I am so grateful for the growth that this year has brought the podcast and for each of you who took the time to listen to these episodes. As I mention in this episode, there is still time to contribute to the Online Gallery I will be creating in the new year (the jotform can be found on my instagram Linktree) and the book I recommend is called Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder by Blaise Aguirre and Gillian Galen. If you want to reach out to me, I can be found on my instagram @journey.bound and although I will be taking a break from posting and make episodes, I will still be free to message and connect with you - even just to tell you how much I value you being on this earth with me. Thank you so much again for all your support; this podcast is only alive because someone like you believed enough to listen and engage with it. I do not take any of this for granted and I hope you have a wonderful Winter season. Sending you so much love and calming energy 🖤💗💜

I am leading a Yin Yoga + Deep Relaxation class for my Buddhist group so I decided to record a Deep Relaxation Meditation for the podcast aswell. This meditation is focused on relaxing the body and creating more awareness of our internal feelings and sensations; it is typically done in a lying down position and can be a great practice to utilize when we are experiencing stress or anxiety. The actual meditation begins at the 4minute mark. Thank you for letting me share this beautiful practice with you 🖤💮