I'm a little late in posting this, as BPD Awareness Month is actually May, which we're nearing the end of, but I just wanted to bring people's attention to a mental disorder that many people seem to be unaware exists - Borderline Personality Disorder.

Actually, the correct term today is Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, but everyone still calls it BPD or Borderline as it's less of a mouthful.

If you don't know what it is, here's a brief explanation:

BPD is a personality disorder where sufferers are unable to manage their emotional states properly and the intensity of these emotions fluctuates massively and often. In terms of symptoms, think bipolar disorder with mood swings that are many times more frequent. Sufferers often have problems with their self-identity, feel unexplainably lonely and have a tendency to either undeservably idolise or criticise people or put themselves down. One of the tell-tale signs of BPD is self-harm, and BPD suffers will often have the characteristic scarring on their arms.

As I do. I've suffered from BPD for years, I've done time in mental institutions, and while I largely have it under control - these days even without meds - I do occasionally relapse. I'm actually lucky - I have a wonderful girlfriend who understands and supports me when I relapse. Not all sufferers are that lucky. Many come from backgrounds of physical and emotional abuse, and have a knack for entering into similarly abusive relationships.

So if you see someone with those scars on their arms or elsewhere on their bodies, take a moment to think what must be going through their mind. We're not insane, we're not dangerous, but coping with the most minor of setbacks or victories in life can drive us to the brink of suicide or make us happier than humanly possible. Take a moment to think what it is like when the emotional pressure reaches a high - a cacophony of thoughts scrambling through your mind like a crowd of people rushing around, making you unable to focus or concentrate on anything.

It's not an easy life for BPD sufferers, but with the support of those that care, it's a manageable one and can still be a good one.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Links:
http://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorder

Its getting alot of support here in Ireland at the moment, with alot of big stars of entertainment and sport supporting it, with their own stories on trying to cope with this disorder.

/signed in support :)

+1

Education and spreading awareness is what is needed to overcome the stigma and misunderstanding so often associated with mental illnesses.

Good post and thanks for sharing this.

As weird as this may sound: don't you think it's actually... worth it ? If the alternative is to have one's senses dulled back to "normal", isn't it better to retain the extra sensitivity, even at the cost of all the suffering ?

No.

The extreme lows tend to make you suicidal, and make you do stupid shit. I have huge amounts of scarring on my arms to attest to this fact. The extreme highs tend to make you intolerable. It makes you careless and reckless, and you tend to become insensitive to other people's problems.

Aside from the fact that these 'dulled normals' are necessary to get anything done. I can't work, concentrate or sleep when I'm at either end of the spectrum, because my head is basically just a cacophony of noise.

One ex-girlfriend of mine (and still a good friend) have this disorder, so I can understand for what you have to go through everyday, jamyskis. I wish you all the best, mate. :)

I have a cousin who suffers from this (and other issues as well). It's a good bet that many people know someone with BPD, they just don't know that's what makes that "especially difficult person" in their life the way he/she is. My cousin has particular trouble with anger management, which is one of the worst BPD symptoms in terms of destroying relationships. He's only four days older than I am, and as a child the way his emotions turned on a dime terrified me; I couldn't figure him out, and at some point lost the will to stop trying for many years. I don't believe BPD existed as a diagnosis back then; he was diagnosed as an adult, and the knowledge helped me repair the relationship.

few of my mates have this - one took to getting tattooed as a form of "constuctive self harm" if you will. seems to have worked for them too - as it's like a regular therapy. I doubt it would work for everyone, but it proves theres ways to deal with this kind of thing.
cheers for the post jamyskis! be interesting to see if anyone else has any good stuff to bring up.

I'm not going to get into my personal demons with this because I do that too much as it is, but my heart goes out to you with a rare moment of sincerity, admiration, and I'd say compassion but you seem to be doing just fine without it and for that alone I am quite in awe of you.