SJ Longthorne

For me, #BPD is like having a large, feral dog on a lead. It’s stronger than I am and, without meds, it’s incredibly difficult not to get pulled off my feet when it lunges and gnashes it’s teeth at people, at anything that scares it — especially when it happens suddenly.

On meds (I’m on lamotrigine), it’s like I’m watching that dog from a distance. It’s staring at me, and I’m staring at it, but there’s no lead.

But that’s the thing about dogs: treat them badly and they’ll become defensive and aggressive out of fear; treat them well and they become puppies, doting and loyal. I see those same polarisations in myself sometimes.