Mental Health Resources
Table of Contents
How to use this page:
Below are a variety of resources, links, helpful phone numbers, and vetted books. Let me know of any additional resources I might add to this page.
CRISIS/SUICIDE HELPLINES
Call 9-8-8 (Canada Wide 24/7)
Text 9-8-8 (Canada Wide 24/7)
CONNEX ONTARIO
Connex Ontario will connect those struggling with mental health and addictions, connect with the services they need. You can call, text or live chat for yourself or someone you love.
Call 1-866-531-2600 (Ontario 24/7)
Text 247247 (Ontario 24/7)
For more information and to chat with someone live:
BOOKS I RECOMMEND
I Hate You Don’t Leave Me
I Hate You Don’t Leave Me, Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus – click picture to order
The revised and expanded third edition of the bestselling guide to understanding borderline personality disorder—with advice for communicating with and helping the borderline individuals in your life. After more than three decades as the essential guide to borderline personality disorder (BPD), the third edition of I Hate You—Don’t Leave Me now reflects the most up-to-date research that has opened doors to the neurobiological, genetic, and developmental roots of the disorder, as well as connections between BPD and substance abuse, sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress syndrome, ADHD, and eating disorders. Both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic advancements point to real hope for success in the treatment and understanding of BPD. This expanded and revised edition is an invaluable resource for those diagnosed with BPD and their family, friends, and colleagues, as well as professionals and students in the field, and the practical tools and advice are easy to understand and use in your day-to-day interactions with the borderline individuals in your life.
The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook
The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook, Daniel J. Fox PhD – click picture to order
Introducing a breakthrough, integrative approach to managing your borderline personality disorder (BPD).
If you’ve been diagnosed with BPD you may feel a number of emotions—including shock, shame, sadness, abandonment, emptiness, or even anger. Even worse, you may be tempted to research your diagnosis online, only to find doomsday scenarios and terrible prognoses everywhere you click. Take a deep breath. You can get through this—and this workbook will help guide you.
Despite what you may have read or been told, BPD is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Like many mental health issues, it manifests on a spectrum, and while some people may encounter extreme symptoms and consequences on one end, others may be less affected on the other. What do you all have in common? You likely experience difficulty balancing your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. And you may even have trouble seeing yourself clearly—continuously switching from the hero to the villain of the story you’ve written about your life. So, how can you make sense of it all and start on the road to healing?
Rather than utilizing a one-size-fits-all treatment, this groundbreaking and comprehensive workbook meets you where you are on your therapeutic journey, and provides an integrative approach to treating BPD drawing on evidence-based dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal therapy. With this compassionate workbook, you’ll gain a greater understanding of your BPD, uncover your own emotional triggers, and discover your own personal motivators for positive change.
Your BPD has determined how you see and live your life, but it doesn’t have to define you forever. With this workbook as your guide, you’ll be ready to face your diagnosis head-on, and take those important first steps toward lasting wellness.
It's Simple
It’s Simple, Dr. Luis Cleto
Attachment and trauma theory have become central in psychotherapy. Many therapeutic approaches address these issues. Simple offers a survey of trauma and attachment and integrates different approaches into a structured, practical model, that is easy to understand and apply.
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, Matthew McKay PhD – click picture to order
A clear and effective approach to learning evidence-based DBT skills—now in a fully revised and updated second edition.
Do you have trouble managing your emotions? First developed by Marsha M. Linehan for treating borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective as treatment for a range of other mental health problems, and can greatly improve your ability to handle distress without losing control and acting destructively. However, to make use of these techniques, you need to build skills in four key areas: distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, a collaborative effort from three esteemed authors, offers evidence-based, step-by-step exercises for learning these concepts and putting them to work for real and lasting change. Start by working on the introductory exercises and, after making progress, move on to the advanced-skills chapters. Whether you’re a mental health professional or a general reader, you’ll benefit from this clear and practical guide to better managing your emotions.
This fully revised and updated second edition also includes new chapters on cognitive rehearsal, distress tolerance, and self-compassion.
Stop Walking On Eggshells
Stop Walking On Eggshells, Paul T. Mason MS and Randi Kreger – click picture to order
Isn’t it time you stopped walking on eggshells? Learn how with this fully revised and updated third edition of a self-help classic—now with more than one million copies sold!
Do you feel manipulated, controlled, or lied to? Are you the focus of intense, violent, and irrational rages? Do you feel you are ‘walking on eggshells’ to avoid the next confrontation? If the answer is ‘yes,’ someone you care about may have borderline personality disorder (BPD)—a mood disorder that causes negative self-image, emotional instability, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships.
Stop Walking on Eggshells has already helped more than a million people with friends and family members suffering from BPD understand this difficult disorder, set boundaries, and help their loved ones stop relying on dangerous BPD behaviors. This fully revised third edition has been updated with the very latest BPD research on comorbidity, extensive new information about narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), the effectiveness of schema therapy, and coping and communication skills you can use to stabilize your relationship with the BPD or NPD sufferer in your life.
This compassionate guide will enable you to:
Make sense out of the chaos Stand up for yourself and assert your needs Defuse arguments and conflicts Protect yourself and others from violent behavior
If you’re ready to bring peace and stability back into your life, this time-tested guide will show you how, one confident step at a time.
Stop Walking On Eggshells For Parents
Stop Walking On Eggshells For Parents, Randi Kreger, Christine Adamec MBA and \Daniel S. Lobel PhD – click picture to order
“A valuable, practical resource for parents and caregivers of children, from age five through adulthood, who exhibit signs of, or have been diagnosed with, borderline personality disorder (BPD).”—Booklist
Based on the self-help classic, Stop Walking on Eggshells, this essential guide offers powerful skills and strategies for parenting a child of any age with borderline personality disorder (BPD)—without sacrificing their family or themselves.
If you have a child with BPD, you are all-too-aware of the behavioral and emotional issues that are linked to this disorder—including rages, self-harm, sexual acting out, substance abuse, suicidal behaviors, physical and emotional attacks, and more. Traditional parenting strategies that work on other kids just don’t work with a borderline child. But you shouldn’t lose hope. The good news is that there are parenting strategies that do work.
With this comprehensive resource, you will learn all about borderline personality disorder, how it shows up in children, adolescents, and your adult children, how to obtain proper treatment, and how to manage your child’s condition at home. You’ll find proven-effective strategies to help you communicate and improve your relationship with your child of any age, and, as a result, improve your own life as a parent and an individual. You’ll also find real stories and advice from parents who have also experienced raising a child with BPD.
Most importantly, you’ll learn how to maintain boundaries and validate your child while also meeting your own needs. Whether your child is 5 or 25, this book offers tools to help you and your family thrive.
Stop Walking On Eggshells For Partners
Stop Walking On Eggshells For Partners, Randi Kreger and Bill Eddy LCSW JD – click picture to order
From the author of Stop Walking on Eggshells comes a lifeline for the romantic partners of those with BPD or narcissistic personality disorder. With this guide, you’ll learn to set boundaries, defuse arguments, and do what’s right for you.
Do you often feel manipulated, controlled, or lied to in your relationship? Does your partner exhibit intense, irrational, or violent rage? Are you often the victim of gaslighting or extreme blame? If your partner has borderline personality disorder (BPD) or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), it’s important to remember that it is not your fault. Lured in by your partner’s initial charm, you might have initially ignored or outright denied the red flags; however, the constant stream of criticism, blame, and gaslighting has left you questioning your own reality. So, how can you begin to set boundaries and make self-preservation a priority?
BPD and NPD expert Randi Kreger provides targeted resources to help you build the confidence you need to navigate your relationship safely and effectively. Packed with in-depth information and proven-effective skills, this no-nonsense guide will help you evaluate your relationship, discover what you truly want and need, and gain the courage needed to make healthy decisions—and act on them. If you decide to stay with your partner, you’ll be equipped with tools to improve the relationship; if you determine you want to leave and start a new life, this book will light your path to freedom.
As much as it might feel like it, you are not stuck in your current relationship. There is a way forward, and no matter how you ultimately choose to proceed, you’ll be guided wisely and safely toward a satisfying relationship—and the better, more peaceful life you deserve.