Borderline Personality Disorder & Stigma | MARSHA LINEHAN

Marsha Linehan gives a quick thought on the stigma around BPD.

Marsha Linehan, creator of the highly-regarded Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), discusses Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) from the viewpoint of a clinician / researcher of the highest caliber.

[aspacepigtaipei]

BPD is stigmatized because it calls into question the very nature of what it means to be human. Those who function normally have successfully managed to overcome the idealization (unconditional love) hurdle of early childhood. Those with BPD haven't. We are stuck searching for a world that is perfect. And to accept that it isn't is to accept that everything is a compromise and that life itself only offers a meaningless quest for survival instead of the possibility of a transcendent connection with another, which is why relationship difficulties is at the core of this 'disorder'.

[skyefarrell]

The fact that the worlds leading experts advice is to say you dont have bpd is heart breaking

[NinnaSaleh]

My sister has BPD, and she always gets very proud when I directly tell people that "my sister has BPD and this is what it is" because she is use to trying to hide it or not talk about it, so she gets proud of me talking about it and letting people know about it, because they should!

The first time she was seeking for help, the doctor said "oh young lady you are a very beautiful girl, you should not even think about having a diagnosis, you are totally FINE" .. the next time when she had a mental breakdown and she just couldnt handle things anymore, a NEW doctor said "you look fine" and wouldnt write a recommendation for a psyciatrist.. I got so mad and called the office, and they read from her journal, and I quote, THIS is what they said "she has a little drinking problem and tells the doctor that she is beginning to smoke more often, but she dont want help from any doctors".. MY SISTER TOLD HER SHE WANTED TO COMMIT SUICIDE? HOW could it be possible to NOT hear that or just LOOK PASS IT? AND WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE GO TO THE DOCTORS FOR NOT SEEKING HELP? I got so mad and said "Are you kidding me? do you even know what freaking bpd is? Do you know she was crying on the phone telling me how no freaking doctors would listen to her? you are showing me EXACTLY that!" - after a minute she immediatly gave her a time to a psyciatrist.. I get so mad.. It shouldnt be like that.. it breaks my heart to hear my sister say that nodody wants to help her, even if she begged..

Im finishing up my bachelor degree, and my bachelor project is about Stigma in borderline, and why the suicide rate is so high in this personally disorder, Im doing it for my sister, and every other person with borderline who is suffering from this fucking stigma. Not because I think my project would help any, but because is so important that people know what BPD is and how the stigma is ruining them.

Sorry for the language and the bad english, its not my first language.

[inthekurpfalz]

This IS good advice. I told my family doctor about my Borderline diagnosis. He is no longer my doctor within the group practice. Now he looks at me like I'm a thing from another planet, while making a big circle around me. I need to find another practice, I can't cope with him staring me down.

[ileolai]

She's right. I wasn't even officially diagnosed with BPD, but I had a couple of notes on file saying something to the effect of ''patient may display some borderline traits''. Those notes are over 20 years old, and stemmed from a period in my life when i was experiencing acute distress and trauma. A doctor still used them against me when I wound up in the ER with a severe migraine in order to dismiss my symptoms and gaslight me into thinking I was crazy and faking it for attention.
That was a year ago. In a couple of weeks I'm getting an MRI in order to rule out a brain tumor. If it turns out I have one, that doctor delayed my treatment by a year based on an assumption from decades old medical records and anti-BPD stigma.

[sirensexy]

I wish someone had told me this a long time ago. Then again, it's pretty much written across my face. I don't think I'll survive for much longer. Thank you for this video. For acknowledging my suffering and anguish of lifelong discrimination. Somebody gets it.

[eleanorhartshorn]

Incredible lady and so accurate. The number of therapy referrals i've had rejected because of a BPD diagnosis is unreal. As soon as BPD is mentioned i've heard the "you're untreatable" so many times. Yet with an understanding psychiatrist who's been willing to put in extra effort, my life and the lives of my loved ones have improved dramatically. I want to get better. I know other borderlines who just want help to learn to regulate our emotions, to self-soothe, to find who we really are, to learn how to communicate with people, among many other things, and we are refused that help, almost instantly, because of the stigma.

[MarkyMark]

If you are a MALE with this disorder you will not get help from a therapist or even a DBT program. Most therapists who work with BPD treat women because it’s more commonly diagnosed (and still incredibly stigmatized). Therapists will advertise that they work with BPD to make themselves look more knowledgeable, but they always try to find an excuse to ‘refer’ us after they find out why we showed up. Men who have this illness don’t get treatment and we more often end up in substance abuse programs, jail, or the cemetery.

I’m done looking for therapists and I no longer trust them. I have a great psychiatrist who is more of a mentor and I had an excellent addiction councilor for a while but honestly for BPD males you’re better off getting a pet than a therapist

[myexitinglife]

She is correct. As someone who works in the medical field, especially in hospital, people unfortunately are not trauma informed and due to the nature of the diagnosis some providers may find this diagnosis “attention seeking” when someone with this diagnosis is just trying to get their needs met. And there is nothing wrong with that!

[nikkioshea]

I was in a hospital emergency dept some years ago and a man was brought in by police and it appeared hospital staff knew him, I heard the conversation between the psychiatrist and the police, he told the police officer that the man was not 'mentally ill, he had previously been diagnosed with personality disorder which is untreatable'. He went on to explain to the officer that it was the same as a psychopath is untreatable the police had to remove him from the hospital, I believe as he chased said psychiatrist around the table, he may have got himself a few hours in a police cell. This was over 20 years ago now, yet this does seem to still be the cause for such stigma .

[lesley]

DBT has not only saved my life but given me one as well!❤

[Daniellegarrow]

this is still very true. I was refused treatment at a hospital mental health unit because I had borderline personality disorder. ended up going home to overdose.

[sammullett]

Soon as I was told I had BPD I was discharged from mental health services. 🤔

[guitarchick]

Then don’t call it a “personality” disorder. The name itself stigmatized it further and made it sound way worse than it is. It should be an traumatic attachment disorder or something of the sorts.

[sspsychstudent]

as someone whos had to go to the ER for suicidality related to my BOD, i can confirm that its best advised to not disclose your borderline diagnosis. ESPECIALLY if youre self aware of your symptoms and why you have them, then they just think youre faking or over exaggerating

[MorganScribbler]

This is so heartbreaking... because it's true. 😢❤

[lanasartlife]

Not telling people you have BPD and and not sharing mental health stories and journeys doesn't stop stigma. It adds to it.

[sharonunfiltered]

Stigmatisation of mental health issues is utterly disgusting.

[lindatweetytaylor]

That's why I haven't seen my family for 25years now cuz when i had the diagnosis on black and white they still kept saying No your just crazy.

[Tadesan]

I love you Dr. Every time I see a mass murder my heart breaks open. Connected people don't seek to destroy.

Of course, after (eg) Cho shot up VT everyone started wailing something must be done, something is wrong! But then nothing happened.

How many young mass murderers are living in agony right this moment? And how many have good conscience and simply kill themselves?