https://www.amazon.com/Schema-Therapy-Practitioners-Jeffrey-Young/dp/1593853726
This book on Schema therapy describes how a narcissist can experience empathy. I'm not sure that you can do everything on your own (and part of Schema therapy *requires* that you have a therapist), but I've gotten further with this.
Also, EMDR/Brainspotting.
Hi, jumping in here.
I was diagnosed with BPD, and generally have been lucky enough/ determined enough mostly be in remission. A sad fact for both of us is perhaps this disorder can always entagle us, no matter how much we have worked - I think I wrote that for myself just now. Recovery and 'relapse', each time, being much faster and less damaging tho.
THE HOLY TRINITY
• Meditation/mindfulness. This is the best app I have ever used, and it's lifechanging, really. Free if you cannot afford https://dynamic.wakingup.com/shareOpenAccess/a3236e
Additionally, I have found bodyscans useful and tonglen insanely therapeutic.
BODYSCAN: https://youtu.be/15q-N-_kkrU https://youtu.be/CyKhfUdOEgs
TONGLEN: https://youtu.be/-x95ltQP8qQ
• Microdosing psilocybin. Conginitively I'm more flexible, theory of mind is vastly improved (taking others' points of view more readily). Low Macrodoses (around 1/2g) purge negative / stressful emotions and offer a "reboot".
• Schema therapy. / or just therapy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schema_therapy https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Practitioners-Jeffrey-Young/dp/1593853726 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Negative-Thinking-Patterns-Self-Help/dp/1118877713 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reinventing-Your-Life-Breakthrough-Behaviour/dp/0452272041
*I've found Ive needed a stable base for the above to work * I got that with Venlafaxine a SNRI (+ microdosing, and with a regular psilocybin supply I've whittled this down)
Honourable mentions. Stoic philosophy. (This, with bodyscan techniques, form core components of DBT) Trauma therapies - EMDR is insanely effective at treating and extinguishing the traumatic/somatic responses you have built up https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing
Links on trauma. (Sadly, as someone diagnosed with BPD these are highly relevant) https://youtu.be/BJfmfkDQb14 https://youtu.be/ZoZT8-HqI64
Please dont be overwhealmed. Have a dip into the resources now and then. Meditation & microdosing / therapy (and maybe the right meds) are LIFECHANGING.
All the best. 🖤🍄
Hi,
First of all it's great that you're accessing help. Both therapies take a lot of emotional exploration and accessing pain from the past.
So my training is in CBT, but I have come across a bit of DBT in my experience and I've been reading up on schema therapy. From what I can gather from the two approaches, Schema therapy is a long term therapy, that was developed from the theory of CBT. DBT is a set of techniques of sitting with emotions and surfing the emotions. Learning to deal with emotional turbulence in interpersonal difficulties.
From what I've been read in the book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schema-Therapy-Practitioners-Jeffrey-Young/dp/1593853726/ref=asc_df_1593853726/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310856639426&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15630552998985562740&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045574&hvtargid=pla-303619464609&psc=1&th=1&psc=1 it does seem that they address interpersonal difficulties in the session and would probably address similar problems to what DBT would.
I've got a video for Schema therapy but not for DBT, however there are some good ones on Youtube.
What is schema therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ribuk0Ua_8g
In the NHS I think the guidance is for DBT for BPD.
I hope this helps a little and good luck for the future! Therapy is hard so is amazing to just get in the therapy room.
Best wishes,
​
-James-