In 2006 I experienced the first of many mental breakdowns as I began my descent into my own personal rabbit hole. Up until this point, I was a highly functioning mother, employee, and friend. I worked full time and had two very busy children. I was in a long term relationship that on the outside may have appeared to be normal but behind closed doors was abusive and destructive.
Several years later we fast forward to where I am today – in a loving marriage with a kind and compassionate man, caring for one confused teenaged girl and still working through my recovery.
I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and continue with treatment with medications and ongoing psychotherapy. It’s not an easy journey and there have been setbacks and celebrations.
I ask that if you have something positive or constructive to say, please leave me a comment. I’m just one broken soul putting myself back together. I’m an advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves and I believe that talking about my mental illness will raise awareness and remove stigma.
wendyenberg's Blog 
Dear Wendy,
Have left you a detailed message linked to your recent blog entry. You truly have a way with words and a gift for communicating life experiences. Love your reference to “setbacks and celebrations”. I’ll borrow this, with your permission, to use in dealing with the ups and downs of my 41-year-old son’s struggles. Right now, we’re celebrating the start of his new job… a dream come true for him in the field he loves. Hopefully, he will resume recovery in his 12-step program as well.
Best regards,
Bev
Thank you for such amazing feedback. By all means use my postings – if I can help someone else in my journey I feel blessed. I don’t have a Facebook page yet but that will be going on my to do list as I continue pursuing advocacy.
I think that sharing the good and the difficult times is important in helping others not feel so alone or ashamed when they themselves experience a setback. I’m learning that while I may take a few steps back, I recover and gain strength and take many steps forward. So while my progress may seem slow, I’m happy that its progress.
One site that is amazing for support about BPD is “Healing From BPD” and she does have a Facebook page.
Thank you for reaching out to me and stay strong! 🙂 your son is lucky to have you on his side.
Wendy
I have nominated you for a Liebster award. For more information, check out my nomination post here –
Keep up the good writing!
I just found this blog via Face Book’s “Bring Change to Mind” post. I love the 10 things I learned from mental illness!!! I have severe clinical depression, anxiety, PTSS, and it all started after a TBI from an auto crash into a tree 10 years ago. I have found a good doctor, good shrink and good meds to help me along the way. I am blessed with a loving husband of almost 36 years, 3 amazing adult children and the sweetest miniature Schnauzer on the planet who keeps me going. I plan to check in on your blog often. And, a sincerely “thank you”!
Thanks so much for your kind comments! If I can help one person by sharing my story then that is enough for me.
Love your blog! Let’s fight the stigma together….
Yes!! A few voices can open the minds of many!! 🙂
I want to say a belated “thank you” for following “A Way With Words.” I find great joy in writing that is only surpassed when someone reads what I’ve written. As you’ll see, I write primarily about faith and mental illness (having bipolar disorder), but I’m known to cover other topics on occasion as well as share a few stories (fiction and non-fiction), so if you have any suggestions, just let me know.
I appreciate you sharing your own story here and pray you are blessed as you are a blessing to others.
Hello
I’ve found your website and blog through a FB post.
I’m lost. I’m down. I feel bad even reaching out to you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me or if there even is.
I’m 33, mother of 1. Of late I’ve been struggling with my health and signs and doctors tell me its depression but my gut tells me its something more yet don’t feel like the doctor takes me serious.
I can’t hold down a relationship, I’ve met a lovely amazing guy who says my behaviour is making him miserable yet I want nothing more than to build a new life with him.
I feel like quitting my job and me and my son argue a lot.
I took positive steps to help myself by referring myself to a family support agency who have done some work with me and my son around parenting and boundaries. She identified I would benefit from.counselling.
I’ve started that and had 3 sessions but am worried that it’ll end before I’m ready for it to end.
I’m crying writing this.
I get confused a lot, my memory is bad, I don’t understand my boyfriend when he speaks to me. I’m worried that how do I ever find out what’s wrong with me – is it depression, is it BPD, is it my contraceptive pill or my lifestyle (I dont exercise but have no motivation too)
I’m scared my boyfriend will leave me for good and I’ll never find out what’s wrong with me.
My mum has had depression and anxieties most her adult life and is a social agraphobic. Could how I am be learnt behaviours?
Why do I take out my bad moods on my son and my boyfriend? I don’t mean to. I’m struggling yet can’t see any help.
Can’t tell my mum, have no close friends living near and the doctor just says look online at anger management and counselling.
How did you get taken seriously?
I didn’t get taken seriously in the beginning either and unfortunately it wasn’t until I had suicide attempts that I got the help I needed. I don’t want that to be the case with you. We know when there’s something more happening and I would encourage you to try and see a psychiatrist. Once I was connected to a psychiatrist I was able to take group therapy programs such as CBT and DBT which benefitted me a great deal in helping me understand what was happening inside my mind. Therapy has been the best thing for me but it’s been a long journey and a lot of hard work and I’ve stumbled along the way. It sounds like you are trying to cope with some confusing and painful emotions and don’t have the skills to do this in a healthy way, but you can learn these! I would recommend that you try to learn as much as you can about DBT and again try to get connected to a psychiatrist. There are a wealth of resources out there about DBT – Google Dr. Marsha Linehan and watch some of her videos on the topic of bpd – that’s what I did initially to see if I related to what she said. Finding services that you need really requires a lot of self advocacy but the squeaky wheel gets the grease! Thanks for writing and keep in touch!
Wendy, I just stumbled onto your blog and am touched. I have talked to so many people with various forms of mental illness and emotional issues, but never have I found someone who seems to go through exactly what I’m going through.
Thank you so much for writing this blog. It is now a sort of beacon of hope for me, in showing me that I’m not crazy and definitely not alone. thank you so much.
Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m glad that you can relate and that it helps you not feel alone. I also have a couple of Facebook pages that you might be interested in following where I often post inspiring things about the journey with mental illness. https://www.facebook.com/MentalHealthMatters2Me
And https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthmattersedmonton
Hope to connect with you there! Keep fighting the good fight!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate it 🙂
Hi, I stumbled on your blog and I’m glad I did because I am always in search for more mental health advocacy blogs to read. I have recently realized that I have BPD traits. I spoke to my psychologist about it but he personally thought that he doesn’t feel like I do though he’s not discounting the fact that I might have a mild form of it. In any case, I was wondering if you had a post where you talked about your diagnosis and how you found out about BPD? I’d be interested in reading that. Thank you!
A lot of my older posts talk about my BPD – here’s a post that I shared written by someone else that was useful to me in helping me accept my own diagnosis.
http://www.bpddemystified.com/resources/for-loved-ones/
Thank you!
Hey, I found your blog after reading your article on “the mighty.” Thanks for sharing your story & offering hope & encouragement.
Hello Wendy. I hope this finds you doing well.
I see you have been a follower my blog “A Way With Words.” Great! Thank you.
My blog has now transformed into, “Delight in Disorder: Faith & Mental Illness” (delightindisorder.org). As a man of faith who has wrestled with bipolar disorder, I’m looking to shatter stigma with stories.
I hope you will join me there.
Take care & God bless,
Tony