I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). If you have stereotypes, expectations, or assumptions about what that means, then maybe this is a chance to reconsider or change them. If you think of me as a friend, as caring or supportive, as interesting or fun, or as a community member you like, then maybe think about how just because someone has a personality disorder doesn’t mean they can’t be these things. There’s A LOT of stigma around BPD. Many people use it as a synonym for “abusive,” which is not only wrong, but makes it pretty damn hard for people with the disorder to get mental healthcare that can help. The vast majority of people with BPD are survivors of trauma and it often is comorbid with cPTSD, disorganized attachment history, and codependency. The difference for it versus those other things that research suggests is a genetic component where our nervous systems are hypersensitive to certain kinds of things, leading to developing the disorder when exposed to trauma and intense stress. There are also useful skills, therapies, and interventions that can help you or your loved ones with BPD. It’s still hard, but I know it’s improved my life to finally work on it and make progress on my mental health. Can it be overwhelming and hard when someone with BPD is in crisis? Of course, especially if they haven’t gotten the right kinds of help and support. But so is everyone who is in crisis. As someone who has helped people with just about every disorder and people with no diagnosable disorders when they are in a mental health crisis, it is challenging to help folks when the shit hits the fan and you have to adapt your strategies to the person and what will help them. People with BPD are not uniquely terrible or bad or evil or abusive, and I choose to be out about having it so we can begin to challenge the stigma around this. #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BPD #EndMentalHealthStigma #EndStigma