Hi Distressed,

I'm learning DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) skills. It was developed from CBT originally for people with Borderline Personality Disorder. Like you, I don't have a diagnosis of BPD but I relate to a lot of the issues associated with it and I struggle with life, especially with myself!

DBT skills cover mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. It's very practical, for example it guides you through creating a list of things you can do to distract yourself from painful thoughts (like thinking about the past or worrying about the future) and a list of more pleasurable activities you can do. I think that could be helpful for you when you're at home and it's You and You.

You can do a whole DBT therapy programme but I'm just learning it a bit using a workbook - The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood and Jeffrey Brantley.

I know a lot of people find CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) helpful, but for me it doesn't do enough about creating anything positive or filling the blank spaces in life. DBT (Dialectical BT) does this - it's "strapline" is that it's about building a life worth living. So, I think you would find helpful ideas in the skills for what you're asking about. You'll also find similar ideas within CBT and other places. After that, it's a case of working at it and keeping going. (I think the hardest part isn't finding the ideas about what to do, it's putting them into practice and persevering!)

Good luck