Thank you all for sharing your experiences, I really appreciate it and I'm sorry you all have so much to deal with. Thank you for sharing the things that help, I will definitely try to take them on board.

I was also under the impression that longer 'mood swings' weren't in themselves part of BPD and have always thought of what I experience as depression, and have always been told that is what it is, but I saw the letter that the psychiatrist sent my GP and it was pretty clear that what I go through is not depression at all. I know that a diagnosis isn't set in stone and not sure that it matters a great deal, but I guess I was hoping to find that other people could relate.

How it is for me; when I'm 'okay' my mood does change to a certain extent throughout the day but not to extremes, and I really appreciate it - it's one of the main ways I know I am doing well; that I can have feelings without it affecting my overall okay-ness. If something good happens, it is nice to be able to feel happy about it, instead of being unable to feel anything except low, and if something bad happens, it is reassuring to be able to feel sad about it instead of feeling so bad already that there isn't any space left for anything else. I hope that makes sense!