I'm sicker than most, even! There's absolutely no doubt that I have BP1...the physiological symptoms are as undeniable as the damage I've done while symptomatic . Staying awake for several days straight is a lot of fun...until it isn't! The list of physiological symptoms goes on...

During the course of my work in therapy, I was diagnosed ("gently nudged into believing" is probably a better way of putting it) as having BPD, too! For the longest time I fought that diagnosis tooth & nail due to the stigma attached. "It's' just the BP1 disorder!" I objected. Fact is, I now see that some of the symptoms & tendencies overlap (at least in my case). By using the DBT skills learned in therapy I can mitigate some of my more severe BPD tendencies. Accepting the fact that I have a personality disorder in addition to BP1 has been valuable.

Oh! I forgot to mention that I'm a recovering alcoholic, as well! I think professionals in the field are trying to call alcoholism something more clinical these days, but I just consider myself a garden variety drunk with over 10 years of continuous sobriety. That's a daily reprieve, by the way.

So, ladies! How about a date with an old, fat & ugly bipolar, borderline, drunk!? Sounds mighty inviting, doesn't it? That's comorbidity city!

I hate to make light of comorbidities that have wrecked entire swaths of my life, but I'm in a space where I can do that right now. Sometimes, not so much. Beating myself up isn't a luxury I can afford too often. The depressive tendencies of the BP1 coupled with the suicidal ideation which often plagues folks with BPD can lead me down a very dark path if I let that happen. I choose to avoid such spaces...Just for today.