BPD & Broken Neurological Bones (Feat. Seth)BPD & Broken Neurological Bones (Feat. Seth)
Bold Beautiful Borderline
Seth shares his experience of growing up in a cult-like church, living with BPD and dysgraphia, and learning to parent his son differently. The conversation highlights therapy, boundaries, spirituality, and the slow shift from self-hate to self-acceptance.
1:04:53•24 May 2026
BPD, Cult Upbringing and “Broken Neurological Bones”: Seth’s Story
Episode Overview
- Being extremely selective about a therapist can prevent further harm and take pressure off partners to be emotional regulators.
- Balancing harsh self-criticism with equally strong self-kindness helps shift long-standing self-hate.
- Setting and maintaining firm boundaries with abusive parents may be necessary for personal and parental safety.
- Practical DBT-style strategies, such as ice cubes and cold water, can interrupt impulsive reactions during intense dysregulation.
- Gradual inner-child work and repeated small acts of self-gratitude can make it possible to eventually say, and mean, “I love who I am.”
“Until you make the choice to go into remission, you're living with broken neurological bones that have healed to keep you alive.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober and mentally well when life has been chaotic from the start? This conversation on Bold Beautiful Borderline follows Seth, a 30-year-old dad with Borderline Personality Disorder, as he talks frankly about growing up in a strict “cult church”, surviving emotional neglect, and trying to parent his son differently. The chat keeps the show’s trademark mix of raw honesty and dark humour.
Host Sara creates space for Seth to talk about being diagnosed with BPD and “a slew of other things”, his experience of dysgraphia after childhood abuse, and what he calls living with “broken neurological bones” that once kept him alive but now need healing. If you’re someone with BPD, or you care about someone who has it, you’ll likely recognise the shame, self-hate and desperate need to be seen that he describes.
Seth walks through his journey from a 72-hour hold and chaotic relationships to finally finding a therapist who truly saw through his masking and manipulation. He stresses how crucial it is to be “more picky about your therapist than your partner” and talks about using DBT and CBT tools, cold water and ice cubes, and powerful inner-child work to start building trust in himself.
The episode also touches on cutting contact with abusive parents, the guilt of going no-contact while still craving connection, and the complex mix of rage and empathy that can come with BPD. Seth’s spirituality, his refusal to let go of hope, and his slow shift from self-loathing to being able to say “I love who I am” will resonate with anyone trying to rebuild their life after trauma.
If you’ve ever wondered what BPD looks like in men, or you’re wrestling with your own diagnosis, this story might leave you asking: what tiny bit of self-kindness could you offer yourself today?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.