Topic Tuesday // BPD Awareness Week 2021 – Discover Creative Wellbeing // Tues 5th October, 7pm-8:30pm AEDT

Also tagging @Wol @ToothlessT to see if you might be interested to join our discussion tonight too 🙂

Question 1.

I would actually like to address the gaps in support for carers/family members. Being a part of a volunteer-led organisation like NEA BPD Australia, we rely heavily on the goodwill and voluntary time of carers, clinicians and usually not-for-profit organisations (for venues) to run Family Connections Programs (free 12 week program teaching skills, educating and providing support for carers of someone with BPD/ emotional dysregulation) https://www.bpdaustralia.org/about-family-connections/

We have approximately 2500 people registered in Australia waiting for the program to be run near them and 15 active leaders across Australia, in a country of nearly 26 million people, this is just not enough.

I can’t comment on other states, but I recently looked into support for carers in South Australia and while we have some wonderful grassroots support groups like Sanctuary http://bpd-carers-sanctuary.org/about-us/ (great website and anyone can join their mailing list), BPD specific support is really lacking. There is a lot of information on the internet, but we all know it can be hard to source from reputable sources, where to go for information and there is no substitute for meeting in person (or online in this current climate!). So people don’t know where to even start, and when they do, the wait is long, or it costs money, and this adds to what I often see as an already isolated and stigmatised situation for not only carers but also the person with BPD.

Carers can be up against well-intentioned, but misinformed friends and family members who believe the person with BPD is ‘just manipulating them’ or ‘shouldn’t act this way’, this can lead to people feeling more alone, judged, provided with incorrect advice, and ostracised from events. My heart goes out to people living with BPD because I come across a lot of people in pain and suffering, and at the same time, when you see both parties or just one side getting support, and to see the gains they make and the confidence they have in themselves and each other, it inspires me and motivated in this space.

Not enough DBT group therapy offered. Too expensive to do.
@cloudcore hi @BPDSurvivor @Daisydreamer @KirstyNEABPD

Hi @BlueBay and @Jacques , welcome to the discussion

Hi @BlueBay !

Great to see you. I'm so glad you can join us tonight

In reference to your comment about DBT, you are totally right. I don't think there is enough of ANY therapy for pwBPD. Particularly as 10 subsidised sessions is simply NOT enough!

So frustrating, isn't it?

hi everyone, reading along, my aunt and partner have been diagnosed with bpd. i have found that many professtional mental health workers are confused about how to diagnose this illness.

you definitely need more than 10 sessions @BPDSurvivor !!!

Hi @Jacques ,

BPD often gets misdiagnosed as bipolar.

I was on bipolar medication for 10 years! I DID NOT have bipolar. Rather, it was BPD - I ticked every trait in the DSM.

Once someone gets diagnosed with bipolar, it medicalises the condition which then means medication is prescribed to 'fix' the problem.

Unfortunately, medication is not the answer for BPD.