Self-Harming
What is self-harming? Self-harming is when someone intentionally hurts themself. Self-harming behaviors include cutting, burning, picking at skin, hair-pulling, hitting, multiple piercing/tattooing, and drinking harmful chemicals. Self-injuring is a coping mechanism, and it’s important to find healthier ways to cope. You can physically prevent yourself from self-harming by throwing away your blades or being supervised in a hospital. You can also call 1-800-DONTCUT to make doctor and therapist appointments. Siriusproject.org has DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) coping s

Music & Mental Health Recovery
Music has the power to influence people’s emotions; it can make them happy, sad, or angry. Music can also aid in the recovery of mental illnesses. The Geriatric Mental Health Department of the Chhatarati Shahuju Maharaj Medical University in India is starting a music therapy clinic to treat elderly patients with mental disorders (like dementia). Nearly 5% of elderly people older than 60 suffer from dementia. S.C. Tiwari, the head of the Geriatric Mental Health Department, said that music is found to have a positive impact on patients suffering from mental tension. Slow and melodious music soothes tension; rock, pop, and fast music should be avoided because of the negative

Meet Bill Cohen
Hi, My name is Bill Cohen. I am a Clinical Psychologist, Licensed in New Jersey. I was invited to write blogs for On The Borderline by Lauren Leigh, founder and coordinator of On The Borderline. I am in full time clinical practice, and work with children and young adults who have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. I do Psychological examinations of children and young adults, ages 5-30 years of age. I write diagnostic evaluations  for schools, other psychologists,  psychiatrists, pediatricians and neurologists. I examine individuals with mild, moderate and severe mental problems and learning issues. The field of psychology  is so v

Cope with Your Symptoms Through Expressive Writing
I found this article about coping with your symptoms through writing the other day, and I thought I’d share it with you: Cope with Your Symptoms Through Expressive Writing By Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, About.com Created: August 18, 2009 For people with either physical and psychological problems, expressive writing has been shown to have a positive impact. It’s no wonder that people have used expressive writing for centuries as a means of personal discovery, catharsis, and meaning-making. If you’ve never tried expre

Is it BPD or Bipolar?
Although borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder are similar, there are differences. Here are some articles that may help you understand the differences a little bit better: Disentangling Rapid-Cycling Bipolar From Borderline How to Understand the Difference Between Borderline and Bipolar BPD and bipolar disorder, similarities and di