Myths and Facts about BPD

Meeting Notes, January 2021

We spent some time sharing our experiences over Christmas.  How the person we care for coped with it all, how we felt and our thoughts on what helped and what didn’t.  

We watched an excellent video: The Myths and Facts about Borderline Personality Disorder. 

This educational film addresses seven common misperceptions about BPD from the perspective of professionals and those with lived experience.

Myth: BPD is not a real mental illness
Fact: BPD has been in the DSM since 1980 and has reliable diagnostic criteria

Myth: BPD is not a brain disorder like other mental illnesses
Fact: BPD is caused by a malfunction in the emotion processing centres of the brain.

Myth: BPD is not a serious mental illness
Fact: BPD is associated with Self-Harm Behaviours, Suicide and Drug Abuse

Myth: Those diagnosed with BPD are attention seeking and manipulative
Fact: Individuals with Bpd sometimes utilize unhealthy behaviours to alleviate emotional pain

Myth: BPD is not treatable
Fact: There are 5 evidence based treatments for BPD

Myth: It is better not to tell someone that they have BPD
Fact: A BPD Diagnosis saves lives and promotes recovery

Myth: People with BPD are not capable of maintaining relationships and commitments
Fact: People with BPD can lead meaningful lives with treatment

To watch the film again, click here

The people who made this video are Emotions Matter from USA. For their website, click: here. 

All rights reserved, Emotions Matter Inc, 2020. 

Photo by Ray Bilcliff from Pexels