Footprints was a life changing experience, I first participated in DBT nearly two years ago. I was diagnosed with BPD, with all of the criteria being relevant to my symptoms. I was admitted countless times to the hospital for crisis management. Engaging in ineffective and problematic behaviours like it was a sport - I was moving through the world with the acceptance that life will always mean misery, that no matter what I did, how hard I tried, I will always be living out of the realm of my control. On my first day at DBT, I didn’t know it, but it was the beginning of the end to my suffering. I was terrified that this will be another therapy that did not contribute to a permanent change to my wellbeing and was convinced this would be the last thing I tried before I severed all ties to the effort of wellness, then I met Katie, and Sophie. Right off the bat, Katie and Sophie disclosed briefly their own lived experiences of mental health, one stated they no longer fit the criteria of an anxiety disorder and another said there was a reduction in medication after years of high doses. This is what gave me hope. I put in so much hard work believing I too could be someone to overcome my mental health the way these inspiring women were able to theirs. With the support of Sophie, Chevy, Claudia and Katie I was able to not only manage crisis, but avoid them completely. It was such an unsatisfying pursuit, doing skills instead of engaging in problematic behaviours, feeling like a failure when I didn’t get the skills right and now? Everything has changed. By the end of my time with footprints I went from having numerous crisis’ a day to a few a week and the numbers have continued to drop. The last time I engaged in problematic behaviours I couldn’t stop asking myself, “Is this effective?” And I am now living life no longer fitting the criteria of Borderline Personality Disorder. I have had 2 crisis due to personal circumstances in the time since I have finished in DBT which were circumstantial rather than reactionary. Hearing the stories of those in lived experience, the support and tremendous work of the footprints team, my life has changed and I now believe I not only will but deserve to live life in wellness, and now I will be completing my course in 6 months of the peer support course at TAFE. Thank you to the DBT and loved experience sector of footprints for everything you have done and continue to do.
