Hi Kenny,
My only experience is with BPD (as a carer), so I respond with that in mind.
Mental illness is stigmatised and people with mental illness are discriminated against both personally and structurally. The last ugly piece I read was in The Age a month or so ago which described people with BPD as emotional vampires - accompanied by appropriate graphics. Given about 10% of people with BPD committ suicide, this was highly irresponsible.
The added extra burdens for people with BPD are:
Failing to get a correct diagnosis, to paraphrase common experiences of carers: "It's only a teenage phase"; It's the mother's fault, there's nothing wrong with the kid." "I don't believe in diagnosing BPD, really it is complex PTSD"; "It's bi polar, here take this meedication". And so on.
Failing to get treatment: It is nigh impossible to get into the public system. When you ring psychologists or psychiatrists who say they treat personality disorders in the private system, expect to be rejected, consistently. The last person I spoke to about this said they were rejected 44 or so times.
Co morbidity: A person with BPD self medicates often with drugs or alcohol to their deteriment. Other Personality Disorders are often present. Eating disorders also are a part of a person with BPD's life. And there are also all the other mental illnesses although not often schizophrenia.
The sad thing is that BPD does not have to be a lifetime condition. Recovery is a realistic possibility. Simply put, the recommended treatment involves one on one counselling concurrent with a structured training program for a year. Some people need more. Treatment practices can range from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to Mentalisation to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and more.
I recognise that the differences in mental illnesses are significant enough for me to want to have a peer support that specialises in BPD. In particular, as a carer it is important for me to change as much as I expect my daughter to change. The skills and techniques developed in DBT (and other treatments) are applicable to both carer and consumer.
Rather than compare the stigma and disadvantage of one mental illness compared with another, I like to compare mental illness with cancer.
If those of us in the BPD world had cancer instead of BPD, then we would have prompt access to correct diagnosis, treatment options in the public systems, support throughout and monitoring after treatment, the sympathy and support of the whole world.
And that's what I'd say to policy makers.
