"What Do You Mean You Have Lived Experience? You're Only 18."

Invalidation is a common theme for those of us who struggle with mental health. Was what I went through "bad enough"? Am I overreacting? That wasn't abuse. Everybody goes through hard times. Maybe what makes a person crazy is treating them as if they are crazy. Denying their reality. In the parlance of the youth, gaslighting the shit out of them. We here at Harping with Howie are here to validate everyone, period. Listening to Tiffany's story, it's hard to imagine that some people have a hard time empathizing with young people and giving them credit for their resilience and pure verve. Abuse harms the body and heart, but maybe it can't truly touch a person's soul. Tiffany sheds light on how social media has increased mental health literacy and how determined many young people are to stop generational trauma. Borderline Personality Disorder is a fairly highly stigmatized diagnosis, but the source of the chaotic brew of severe emotional dysregulation leading to hurtful behavior towards loved ones and ourselves is compelling. Host Ben Roberts and Guest Co-Host Rachel Ji explore how this diagnosis has shaped Tiffany's life. Cover Art by Pepper Auerbach at @iwasateenagepepper on Instagram. Visit us at harpingwithhowie.com Created with support from listeners like you at ko-fi.com/harpingwithhowie Content Note: this episode contains discussions of child abuse and neglect, self harm, suicide attempts.