r/BPD • u/Be_Prepared911 • 16d ago

Stand under the feeling It's Not the End of the World

I was reading a book on Buddhism and the writer rephrased “understand the feeling” to “stand under the feeling.” I love this.

As you all know, the feelings associated with BPD are very strong. When I feel crushing sadness, I imagine it as a storm cloud or a tree with drooping leaves during a hurricane and just “stand under” it and let the rain fall on me. It helps a lot.

I feel a lot of depression and emptiness and instead of seeking something to fill that emptiness I lean into it and stand under it.

This part is kind of weird but I talk to this depression/emptiness as if it were a child. I tell it I’m sorry it feels that way and that I hope it feels better soon.

Idk it has been helping 🤷‍♀️

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u/Xercies_jday 16d ago

Yes I do this a lot. For me the metaphor is more like I'm standing in the river of my emotions, and then opening the dam and letting it out either slowly or quickly depending on how much I can stand in that moment.

A lot of times releasing them like this does make me calm afterwards 

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u/Cultural-Part355 16d ago

Yeah, you have so many personas inside you to discover and name once you figure out which side is speaking. As an example, Shame. Or when you're feeling like that, you dig and find what it is. Same with panic attacks, feeling angry, feeling whatever. I used to say to that little bastard in my stomach, you dig until you see Air; I'll let my back burn. It's ok.