5 months have slipped by since my baby girl Kaelynn left us..
Today is Bell’s “Let’s Talk” day and I can’t think of a better time to re-share the content of my Instagram post that I shared 3 weeks after she passed away about loosing my child with BPD.
“It’s not the length of life but the depth of life.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
❓ Have you heard of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)? If not (or so) I would love for you to Google and share one thing you didn’t know about it in the comments 🙏🏻
In her vibrant 20 years, Kaelynn, my youngest daughter, touched more lives than many do in a lifetime. Despite Covid times well over 200 people came out and paid their respects at her wake🙏🏻❤️. Covid has been hard for everyone but it has been particularly difficult for those with medical challenges and especially for those who struggle with mental health.
My daughter was diagnosed with BPD among other diagnoses. The lack of tangible supports through this “Covid crisis” for those who struggle with mental health has been and continues to be, noticeable, difficult and for many detrimental.
Stigma
Unfortunately there is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health. At the beginning of Kaelynn’s journey she was embarrassed to share her diagnosis. Youths with mental health are often concerned or even fearful of being judged, ostracized or ridiculed. This fear can hinder their growth and healing as it can create a reluctance to seek help. In the later years of my daughter’s journey, Kaelynn learned to embrace and accept that her diagnosis did not define her but rather it helped her and others better understand her.
Talking Helps
After posting this the first time on my Instagram, I was overwhelmed with how many young people reached out to me regarding how Kaelynn helped and connected with them by talking about her mental health battles. They shared with me that it gave them the courage and inspiration to share their struggles with her. She created many bonds with many people. I had no idea how many people and lives she touched just by talking and caring❤️.
Like all of us Kaelynn wasn’t perfect; she had her own demons that she faced daily and often felt alone, unwanted and unloved; both because of how mental health can skew perception and also sometimes because of her actions caused by her mental health struggles.
Supports are key
Kaelynn was fortunate to have an abundance of support networks that she visited weekly pre-Covid that helped her in her journey. This support network came by trial and error and was years in the making. (I will cover further in subsequent posts.) Their removal thanks to Covid was strongly felt at a time when she needed them most… especially since fear of abandonment is one of the top symptoms of BPD.
I am thankful Bell started the “Let’s Talk” campaign as it is a step in the right direction. So please everyone keep talking and keep caring ❤️ , all year long 🙏🏻💯
I will be posting a series about the “Benefits of Travel for Mental Health” next! An Instagram version is available which you can check out here:
shttps://www.instagram.com/p/CFpfn0UBUCO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I would also like to share more content about Kaelynn’s journey and about loosing my child with BPD. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback in the comments.
