Dear Cat:

I am well, thank you.

You wrote that you were prescribed “antipsychotics before bed, which will hopefully help with the voices”- when talking about voices so far, I referred to the “inner critic” voice, or voices, that is, we know these are our thoughts, not an outside real person talking to us.. Are you referring here to any other kind of voices here?

You wrote that you are coming to terms with your new diagnosis and recognizing “how that has affected me and my relationships throughout my life”. Do you mean that you believe that you were born with this diagnosis, that is, that as a child you suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?

You wrote: “I know that so many others in the world are starving, or not able to live a life as privileged and free as mine is“- the reality for most people these days is not lack of food. For many millions reality is too much food is available and consumed. What is lacking in our world is mental health, and so, the great majority of people who are starving, are starving for mental health, not for food.

You wrote that you are privileged and free. Are you, really?

Regarding putting yourself first and not feeling selfish or guilty for doing so, I think that your motivation is to be a good person. And you think that to be good you must stop others from suffering and suffer with them until they stop suffering.

But what if this is not what it means to be a good person? What if being a good person means something else.

Regarding helping your sister, well, you didn’t help her. You tried but couldn’t. Back to the meaning, or definition of being a good person. What if being a good person meant that you don’t try to help her, is it possible?

anita