Topic Tuesday // BPD Awareness featuring SPECTRUM VIC // Tues 1 Oct, 7pm AEST

It's important to feel safe. I really empathise with this @BlueBay thank you for sharing

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@Fracturedlight It can be helpful to seek out a second (or third) opinion if you want to check things out from some different perspectives, your existing clinicians should be able to offer guidance there if you're happy to approach them?

@Lise07 Goodness we need to get better at breaking down these misconceptions, a decade can feel like an awfully long time to wait. If we can destigmatise BPD then our hope is that people will be able to access treatment without having to wait until things worsen.

@Former-Member There are a lot of different views when it comes to the BPD diagnosis. We sometimes come across people who would prefer not to have it as a diagnosis because of the stigma that exists around it. For others, the idea of having a ‘disorder’ of their personality is very uncomfortable. Still others find it an extremely validating diagnosis to receive, because it helps make sense of what they have been living with. On top of that, since BPD can be easily confused with things like bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia, getting an accurate diagnosis can be really important for finding the right kind of support and treatment.

Most clinicians I’ve come across recognise and agree with the issues around ‘borderline personality disorder’ as a diagnostic label. Its wording is largely a holdover from decades ago and isn’t particularly descriptive – BPD looks different in every person who has it. A few alternative names have been proposed but my favourite is one that comes from some former Spectrum clients: “Hard Life Syndrome.” Either you’ve experienced a hard life, or are living one now.

At Spectrum we work openly with the diagnosis of BPD (and other personality disorders) and are persistent in our efforts to reduce the stigma around it. We don’t think anyone should have to fear or feel shame towards the diagnosis, but if our clients prefer not to identify with it then we’re happy to work together without using that terminology.

@Former-Member In my clinical work, I have worked with people who have had all kinds of experiences with having the diagnostic label applied to them. For example, some have found it helpful knowing that there is a name for some of what they are experiencing, knowing that others experience it too, and that there is treatment for it. On the other hand, others report that they either directly experience stigma relating to having the diagnosis, or are concerned about telling others due to the stigma around it. Further, others have found that the label ‘borderline personality disorder’ doesn’t capture their experience of the disorder or how it came to be there, and it can feel unhelpful to have the label for these and other reasons.
Whilst diagnosis can be useful in guiding people to getting the sorts of treatment we would recommend for someone with BPD, once people are within treatment at Spectrum our focus would be more on jointly developing an understanding of each person’s difficulties and how they came about, rather than focusing on diagnosis as a way of explaining away someone’s experience.

Yeah I really hate the words “borderline personality disorder “.

@roses1

Hi @JulianSpectrum @AndrewSpectrum @Former-Member Yes, I am aware of the Royal Commission into Mental Health here in Victoria and have made a submission. I even went to a public session a few months ago and spoke to Allan Fels and Penny Armytage who were very nice. I gained a lot of support and confidence from just meeting those 2 people and am very happy and proud of the Victorian government for doing this. I’m very interested to see what comes out of the report in many areas.

"We don’t think anyone should have to fear or feel shame towards the diagnosis, but if our clients prefer not to identify with it then we’re happy to work together without using that terminology." Absolutely love this viewpoint, thank you ❤️❤️❤️ @AndrewSpectrum