BPD tried to break him but he wasn't about to let that sh*t happen (ft. CJ THE X)

Toronto-based 24-year-old Award-nominated video essayist CJ THE X has blown up on YouTube in just one year, with over 200,000 subscribers and counting. CJ's talents don't stop at YouTube. He is also a musical force to be reckoned with, transmuting his explosive emotions into songs that explore his battle with his mind. In this episode, CJ and I sat down to talk about his BPD diagnosis, how he's overcome many of the beliefs and behaviors that kept him stuck in a hell of his own creation, how DBT therapy saved his life, and how he continues to use those skills to help manage his day-to-day life as a self-employed creative carving his unique path. 

Trigger Warning: this episode contains brief mentions of suicide.

💡 Questions answered and topics discussed in this episode:

■ CJ’s experience growing up as a child with an active imagination

■ Feeling forced into the “real world” as a teenager

■ His experience being diagnosed with BPD

■ Struggles with suicidal thoughts and behaviors that ended in inpatient psychiatric care

■ Being labeled “high functioning” and not getting taken seriously by psychiatrists

■ Exploring the self-sabotaging behaviors and beliefs that kept him stuck

■ Struggles with fear of abandonment

■ Chronic feelings of emptiness (“feeling like there’s a hole inside that you can never fill”)

■ Navigating feelings of shame and self-hatred

■ The impact of having a lack of distress tolerance

■ How DBT therapy and skills saved his life

■ CJ’s experience and description off the “FP” or “Favorite Person” relationship

■ How everyone can benefit from thinking dialectically

■ How CJ transmutes his feelings into his art

■ How giving back to others and our community can improve our mental health

 Connect with CJ at https://cjthex.com/.

Disclaimer: information contained in this podcast episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. 

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