They're changing your meds a hell of a lot aren't they hun?! Have they stopped the AD or is it an addition? I'm on quetiapine and overall it's really helped me. I don't like some of the side-effects that I get (everyone reacts differently though), BUT my functioning even with the side-effects is better than it is if I don't take it. It's just been licensed for use alongside anti-depressants to augment their effect, or it can be prescribed (usually off-label if it's for BPD) to act as a sort of mood-stabliser and to reduce anxiety. It should also help you to sleep. I'm surprised they're changing your meds so frequently, must be a bit of a nightmare for you. They'll find the right combination, it's just a bit trial and error for a while and then some adjustment of doses and times. Are you on normal release or extended?
As far as my experience with making friends in group (I have been attending group therapy for BPD for just over two years now - combination of DBT, schema therapy and CFT), there are good reasons for their being cautious. I don't necessarily agree that they should ban you from making friends, I personally think that it's more helpful to explain to people why they don't think that it's a good idea and allow you to make your own choices. We aren't banned from having contact with other service users, the only rule is that if you contact another group member in a crisis, you must take their advice if they tell you to seek medical attention or call the crisis team. So if Joe Bloggs in my group text me tonight to tell me that he'd just taken an overdose and I told him to get himself to A&E, he would have to do that or face being discharged from the group.
My personal experience of making friends in these sorts of settings is that it generally isn't healthy long term. I have made a few very close friends in groups and whilst IP, we got each other through some real crap and I still love them dearly. But in the long term, it just wasn't good for us. The relationships are based on an aspect of your life that you're trying to move away from, you become very close to people because you have so much in common and you understand each other and know how to support each other, but a relationship based upon an illness generally can't be healthy. Staff used to tell me this all the time and I took no notice of what they said whatsoever, but with hindsight I agree with them. You're an adult, you should be allowed to make your own choices as far as who you choose to have relationships with. I'm sure there are circumstances where people in treatment together form friendships that develop into healthy functioning relationships once they have recovered, but just bear in mind that they are the exception and not the rule and remember that your safety and well-being have to be paramount. You can't save anyone else, you can't fix anyone else, as much as you want to because you're a caring person. And investing too much into someone else's issues can be a huge detriment to your own recovery. Take care of you first. It might sound selfish, I'm not telling you not to care or to want to support others because that's a wonderful quality, just be mindful (you may have had enough of that word in group already!! :P )
Look after yourself, if you want to know anything else about meds or group work my inbox is always open.
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