In 2012 I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) but I’ve been struggling with the disorder for many more years than that. Thus far I haven’t spent too much time on this blog talking about it. I suppose I’ve been biding my time while trying to figure out the best way to address and talk about it.
Then, I had the idea to write this mythbuster series. Perfect! BPD is an extremely misunderstood disorder and I think this has a lot to do with the immense amount of murky information that continues to float around.
First of all, for anyone who has questions about what BPD really is, here are a few excellent resources to begin with.
Nami (National Association of Mental Illness): Borderline Personality Disorder
WebMD: What is borderline Personality Disorder?
verywellmind: Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
Mayo Clinic: Borderline Personality Disorder
BPD mythbuster #1: Recovery
Something I often hear people say:
“I didn’t know BPD was something a person could recover from.”
I also often hear:
“I don’t believe people with BPD want to recover.”
I’m here to say that recovery from BPD is possible. I also personally have never talked to anyone with this disorder who did not want to recover. On the contrary, people with BPD desperately want to get better, however, they may lack the resources that will be the most effective for them. BPD can be exhausting and debilitating but I think a lot of people confuse this with laziness and apathy.
Recovery from BPD is not easy and looks much different than your standard run of the mill recovery process. Some experts believe BPD should be considered To be more like a manageable condition like diabetes rather than a more fixed healing process like a broken leg. I believe this to be 100% true. Proper management of the disorder is key and frequent setbacks are quite common.
Anyway, I’m so excited to be embarking on this BPD learning journey with you and I’m absolutely ecstatic to have you along for the journey!
[…] BPD mythbuster series intro: Recovery […]
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[…] odd sort of phenomenon exists amongst people with BPD wherein there’s a strong desire to deny the diagnosis and/or fight against it. I’ve […]
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I observe you are facing this problem “head on.” Good,luck with your treatment.
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Thank you 🙂
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I was also diagnosed with BPD in 2012, but had been suffering way before that.
Good post, and I’m on that journey! It is hard, but I’m further up the mountain than I was…
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Progress is always good. If you can look back and see that you’re in a better place now that is a great thing. 🙂
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Well, I, for one, am eager to read more about your experiences, JoAnn, as this is the first I have heard about BPD.
Granted, I’m not as versed as are most of your readers, but I’d like to change that!
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Oh that’s great to hear! Thanks for your visits and comments.
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Thank you for shining a light on BPD.
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You’re welcome and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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I respect someone with the courage to open up about something as personal as this. I look forward to reading more about your recovery.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Looking forward to sharing your journey. I was a mental health nurse/manager and my sister has BPD so, I’m interested in your perspective too. Caz x
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Oh thank you and thanks for visiting. Hope your sister is doing well
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I think it’s brave you addressed it, that is the first step. Every journey is different and I’ll be following yours!
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Thank you so much. 🙂
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I shall look forward to joining you on your journey 🙂
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Thankyou and thanks for visiting! 🙂
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