A Beautiful Day for a Winter Paddle After a few months of online conversations, Michael and I had met in person for the first time over the Christmas holidays of 2014. At this time I was an avid kayaker, as well as a sea kayak guide at East Coast Outfitters in Lower Prospect. Michael was…
Author: joyfulstephanie
Hello!! I'm Joyful Stephanie and the author of Travel and Adventures of Joyful Stephanie at joyfulstephanie.me. I hope you find my blog insightful, educational, and motivates you to live your life with lots of laughter and joy!!!
Tattoo You. Tattoo Me. Tattoo Us. Matching Tattoos.
The Arabic Pendent While we lived in the State of Qatar, I had an Arabic calligraphy pendent made with Micheal and I’s first initial formed in the shape of a heart. An Idea Michael thought the pendent would make a great tattoo and took the design one step further adding color. The red section is…
Borderline Personality Disorder – The Identity Void – The Black Hole of Self
Shifting Healing Focus Back to BPD Six months ago I admitted defeat to my alcoholism and walked back into the 12-Step rooms. These past six months my main focus as been managing my alcoholism. Now, with a new sponsor since my last BPD blog and a new home group – I feel invigorated as I…
Another Layer
Stigma & Shame For years I have struggled with mental health and alcohol addiction and the stigma and shame of both. I wonder how many people like myself stayed away from 12-Step rooms or tried the 12-Step way but just couldn’t admit to themselves they are alcoholic and started drinking again because of the stigma…
Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – Reflections On A Lazy Sunday Afternoon
Feeling Life So Deeply It is speculated within the field of experts who diagnose mental health issues that those with BPD are born into this world more sensitive than others. Sensitive to the world around us, feeling emotions much more deeply than averagely felt by others. There is an empathic trait about us. We can…
Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – EMDR and Inner Resources
EMDR – Wasn’t Ready A while back my therapist and I tried an EMDR session, but I wasn’t ready. I spoke about this in my blog: Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – The Start of EMDR – Creating New Pathways to Calm Now A lot has changed since then. I am on Effexor…
Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – The Inner Critic
Whose Voice? The inner critic is not just for those with BPD and HPD. Everyone has them. What does one of my inner critics say? She says things like: People are mad at you. People do not like you. I am in trouble. I have done something wrong. Other people are right and I am…
Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – Healing Takes Time
Healing Takes Time In my last therapy session, I spoke of how I felt a bit overwhelmed with the many techniques Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers to help those with BPD navigate life with better success. My therapist reassured me that I am still relatively new to adjusting with my diagnoses, and it will take…
Goal Achieved – Running a Half Marathon
Two Years Later ….. I Ran a Half Marathon Let Me Start at The Beginning… Two years ago, I started the plan to run the 2020 Valley Harvest Marathon. In 2020, COVID hit and I was stranded in British Columbia over March Break as a result of airlines shutting down. I stayed in British Columbia…
Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – It Is Great To Be Back & The Hulk Uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy! Woohoo!
It’s Been a While My husband and I moved onto our undeveloped property this summer to start developing it and begin the building of our geodesic dome home. Our remote property unfortunately is located in an area that has terrible internet connection making the complexity of a blogging page impossible to open, let alone publish!…