DBT for Fi

I'm a 30ish year old, married Mam of two gorgeous kids. I live in Galway, have good friends, and a really loving, supportive family.

But, I also have borderline personailty disorder (BPD) and depression. Both can be treated to a certain extent by medication, but for BPD in particular, it's just not enough.  While the symptoms can be alleviated somewhat, it is through therapy that the real changes can be made. 

There is no 'cure'  for BPD, but there is a very specific treatment for it known as dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), which is recognised internationally as the most effective intervention for BPD. DBT teaches the skills necessary to manage the more difficult symptoms, to the point where they are no longer causing problems. 

I was recommended to start DBT 8 months ago, and this was promised by the HSE, through the Adult Mental Health Services of Galway University Hospital. On the advice of my psychiatrist, I finished with my therapist of 6 years and since then, have been on the waiting list for DBT.

During the last 8 months, things have gotten progressively worse. Without the support of my therapist, depression came back and I've found it increasingly hard to manage BPD. I've been suicidal and have self harmed repeatedly.

Eventually I reached the point where I couldn't work, so I've been out on unpaid sick leave since the end of November. It's been extremely tough, and has taken a huge toll on my family, but through it all we had the promise of DBT, which just about kept us going.

Until this week. I found out that not only will I not be getting a place on the programme, it won't be running at all. I cannot begin to describe the extent of the impact this will have on my family. It was our last hope, I've tried literally every other avenue. To have that hope taken away just weeks before I expected to start DBT has been soul destroying. I've written about this a lot, if you want to find out more, you can take a look here.

The only other way for me to access this therapy is to go privately, but the cost is exorbitant (€100/120) per session, weekly, for up to a year) and I cannot raise the funds to do this myself. I've thought long and hard about this, and I don't like to ask, but right now I cannot see any other way of making this happen.

I need your help. I want to get back to work, back to my life, and I need DBT to do that. No donation is too small, and every cent will get me closer to accessing the treatment I so badly need. All funds raised will either go towards the cost of therapy, or if contributions amount to more than I need, they will be donated to Suicide or Survive.

I hope you can help, and appreciate every single donation more than you can know. You are quite literally saving my life.

Difficulties with public mental health services broadsheet.ie, 25/1/16

Life with borderline personality disorder Irish Independent, 9/2/16

The impact of being told DBT won't go ahead broadsheet.ie, 17/2/16

Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers  
My blog on living with BPD and depression - how it manifests, how I manage (or not), and the impact it has on all of us.