In this episode, we welcome back to the podcast personality disorder expert Dr. Daniel Fox, a licensed psychologist, international speaker, and award-winning author of “The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook” and “Complex Borderline Personality Disorder: How Coexisting Conditions Affects Your BPD and How You Can Gain Emotional Balance.”

In this interview with Dr. Fox, we discuss how common it is for people with BPD symptoms to feel like they are irreparably and permanently broken. Through an exploration of the concepts in his new book and by answering some questions from podcast listeners, Dan and I dive deep into the feelings of shame and guilt that stem from the childhood abuse and neglect that eventually lead to the development of BPD traits, as well as the explosive and impulsive behaviors that often sabotage our attempts to connect with those we love in adulthood.

Questions answered and topics explored in this episode:

■ What is Complex Borderline Personality disorder, and why aren’t more people talking about it?

■ What co-morbid conditions and symptoms most commonly occur with traits of BPD?

■ The differences between bipolar disorder and BPD

■ What is dual diagnosis? (Seeing BPD as a dual construct)

■ The difference between “depressive spirals” in BPD vs. “depressive episodes” in major depressive disorder

■ Understanding “core” and surface” contents of the human personality and how these concepts impact BPD symptoms

■ How to find the best therapist for BPD (and how to know when a mental health provider is NOT a good fit)

■ The BPD stigma that still exists in professional and academic circles

■ How to become more aware of and detach from your “family in the head” (automatic learning internalized from our attachment figures as children) to stop it from sabotaging your recovery progress

■ What feeling rejection is like in borderline personality disorder (and how to become more resilient and less dependent on the opinions of others)

■ Coping with toxic shame in borderline personality disorder (BPD / EUPD)

■ How to talk to your parents about your messed up childhood

Recommended resources:

■ Complex Borderline Personality Disorder (book by Dr. Daniel Fox)

■ Find out more about Dr. Fox at https://drdfox.com/

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Disclaimer: information contained in this podcast episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional.

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