Hello I am Mark aka Mr BPD and I set up TUG (Trowbridge “service” Users Group). TUG or what I hope it will become, has been a dream of mine for over 10 years.
I have been in and out of mental health service for over 35 years I experienced services and therapies both good and bad across this country; I have also worked for the NHS in mental health.
I have always sort to understand my place in this world! Having Borderline Personality Disorder means basically that I dont process emotions the same ways as neuro typical people and others with mental illness do.
But without getting into Borderline Personality Disorder I am cluster C The Avoidant Personality Disorder[1] is characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and a hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
But I have never let my Illness beat me it had me on my knees but I have always got up. And having BPD has some good things, I have a strong spiritual side, a thirst for knowledge, determination (/ obsession), empathy and a desire for change.
Over the years I have expelled nearly everyone from my life mainly by running away the last time 7 years ago. I ended up in Trowbridge some where I had never been and knew no-one.
Over the last 7 years I have had therapy attended course and groups including Human Henge and been discharge from the MHT because their nothing more they can offer.
I am very good at wearing a mask and most people like me as a person, but no one gets to see crumpled me, the one that is sick with fear; that they said or did something wrong, the anxiety the paranoia etc.
For me being around people even for a short time is pain and suffering. But I know I need a social aspect to my life, and in other locations I found those services and the best one where either service user lead or run. Although there are befriending service and things to combat loneliness in Trowbridge, but they were not what I was looking for or fulfilled my requirements.
What I wanted was all the best group I attended rolled up in a ball and local. I often spoke about starting this “group”. My idea was and is to have a group that is run for and by service users one that was not time limited or was work focused or was just another basket weaving course.
The group needed to be somewhere between a drop in and skills council, somewhere advice could be sign posted and their peer to peer support. Somewhere service providers and the MHT could engage with service user.
The group needed to be all that and more it needs to be a place where those that attend can feel free to set up their own internal group such as a knitting circle, photography club, a writing group anything is possible. It needs a committee to bring structure and decide how it goes forward.
So after a few meetings TUG was set up as a drop in Mondays 1 pm to 5 pm at Tesco Extra county way Trowbridge and we have been going strong from the end of Feb 18. So far, we had great chats informative debates lots of laughs and some great visitors and their more to come.
So if you want to come along for coffee and chat or you would like to involved contact us by
FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/TUG2018
Twitter https://twitter.com/AdminTug
Email / Web https://trowbridgeusersgroup.co.uk/contact/
Notes https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/dsm-5-the-ten-personality-disorders-cluster-c/
Postal Address
