Collaborative Artwork
Our DBT therapist is a keen advocate of this, which is where the phrase came from! Some days, the only thing that is going to work is hiding in bed and switching off from the world for a bit. If there are no pressing appointments, no real reason for being up, then why not? Of course, staying in bed for days on end isn’t necessarily a good idea, but as long as this is done to help us avoid harm rather than to dwell in self-pity, it’s as much a valid coping mechanism as others. (Photo: Sarah Eley)
Half-Smile is a skill used to help us with accepting reality. When you’re feeling down, sad, or depressed you simply make the effort to make half a smile. We often joke about this skill and send each other photos of us doing sarcastic ‘half smiles’, but in actual fact, there’s science behind it, in that emotions do not only cause us to make certain facial expressions, but the reverse can also be true; making positive facial expressions can cause us to feel positive emotions! (Photo: Sarah Eley)
I attend a weekly therapy group and a mental health support group too. Often people seem to think that all the people in such groups would be a different breed of people. Like you could spot them in a crowd and that their behaviour would be totally inappropriate. What they fail to grasp is that people with BPD are just people who have a set of struggles. And at the end of the day - everyone is a bit nutty in their own way! (Photo: Laura Mitchell)
Our DBT therapist is a keen advocate of this, which is where the phrase came from! Some days, the only thing that is going to work is hiding in bed and switching off from the world for a bit. If there are no pressing appointments, no real reason for being up, then why not? Of course, staying in bed for days on end isn’t necessarily a good idea, but as long as this is done to help us avoid harm rather than to dwell in self-pity, it’s as much a valid coping mechanism as others. (Photo: Sarah Eley)
'Coping' Series
All four of the artists who created this series were, at the time, receiving treatment called Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which they found really helpful. It can be really intense at times, so often they coped with that through humour (which was encouraged by their therapist!). These photos are all about different suggested techniques. The therapy was developed my Marsha Linehan. Most of the techniques are really useful and helped them to cope with life with BPD, however Marsha is a rather quirky American, so some of the suggestions are rather ‘out there’ and a good giggle was had about those. The image of the girl in the bath is more related to the Crisis Team than DBT as explained beneath the image.
'What?' Series
All of these quotes were said by members of the general public to individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder. Such comments can be frustrating, but at the end of the day, people are not going to understand unless we are open about it and explain it. We can’t expect people to mind read. We also want to iterate that there are many members of the public who are clued up, so this is NOT a generalisation of everyone. Through this series, however, we would like to illustrate the importance of helping the general public to become aware of the condition as some just don’t understand, and it can be quite hurtful at times.
'Erm...' Series
All of these quotes were said by health professionals to individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder. We understand that a lot of these comments will be said when staff are under stress – there have been so many cuts and many mental health workers are under immense pressure. We also want to iterate that most health professionals are far more sensitive than this, even if they don't understand the condition, and these amazing people have helped us greatly, so this is NOT a generalisation of all workers. Through this series, however, we would like to illustrate the importance of educating professionals about the condition as some just don’t understand and it can be quite hurtful at times.
All images edited by Beccy Gamble.