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Marla, I am so sorry to hear that you have to live with someone with BPD. That can be really difficult. Try to take good care of yourself.

US - Hi. That is a really good question. I am not really sure, but I did not go with the urge to run around because that is how I would have reacted in the past which got me nowhere and would make me lose my concentration. The running around is a mind thing to try to get away from the uncomfortable sensation. I wanted to remain with the physical sensation so I could learn as much as I could about it. I would not say that you so much as follow the impulses as you are trying to figure out what the impulses are trying to tell you about your current emotional state. Here it is step by step:

1. Pay close attention to uncomfortable sensation (that may precede onset of pain or hot flash, whatever)
2. Feel and study the sensation. Let it go where it wants in your body. (feel spread of hot flash through organs or spread of pain)
3. Resist the urge your mind will have to do something to suppress or run from the sensation (like my getting up and running around when hyper-aroused). Also resist the temptation your mind will have to make up a story to explain the sensation. This will always be a rational explanation, but will be mostly a cover-up.
4. See where it takes you. Listen carefully for hidden emotions - what do you feel? Identify emotions.
5. If you have an emotion, experience it briefly and mentally connect the sensation with the feeling/emotion.
6. See if any images of the past spring up. RESIST the temptation your mind will have to make up a story.
7. Try not to intellectualize and try to keep you mind out of this as much as you can. Let your mind be the observer, not a participant.
8. Pay particular attention to states of hyper-arousal whenever it happens or precedes an emotion. A lot of us tend to become hyper-aroused without knowing it.