It sounds bad but reading about the bad care experienced by people with BPD only makes me feel worse. I do believe I have BPD (maybe alongside other diagnoses) and I am lucky that my mental health trust usually offers face to face treatment (it hasn’t been due to COVID)...

... I am more annoyed at people completely discrediting the actual diagnosis itself. There is nothing wrong with the diagnosis itself. There is only something very wrong with the treatment pathways of many trusts, which I hope gets sorted in time with more funding, and...

... understanding about personality disorders because they are complex but have little research to date. With little understanding of them, there will no doubt be flaws in terms of support and treatment. I admit this is not ok and I do hope that society as a whole can...

... treat people with personality disorders equally in terms of accessing help. In the meantime, don’t slate BPD or personality disorders themselves. Some people resonate with them, and can only hope to be treated seriously about it, by society and by mental health professionals.

I have questioned the diagnosis, like many people do, because I exhibit symptoms of very similar disorders too (CPTSD and ASD.) The simple fact is I do have the symptoms of BPD though and I don’t mind the diagnosis. I feel it does accurately describe some of my problems, which...

... the other disorders I mentioned don’t. I know a lot of people get misdiagnosed - this is a big problem and has crossed my mind too. It is possible to have BPD AND other diagnoses, or on its own. I know of people in real life who recovered from BPD which suggests it is a...

... real diagnosis, where some people are able to have treatment and support. I wish it were equal across the country, and this is the issue that needs to be sorted, as opposed to discrediting and getting rid of the label. The label is some places does help some people to get...

... the help they need. It is not an entirely hopeless situation. I often feel hopeless about my diagnosis due to stigma I see, even though I am accessing support. People don’t realise they are adding to stigma by bashing the diagnosis. We need more hope in the mental health...

... community, and to be fair, mental health services should be funded appropriately everywhere to ensure people get the same care. However, hope also comes from what we see online, and stating that BPD doesn’t exist, or celebrating when a diagnosis is removed only adds to...

... stigma, and is irresponsible to those actually suffering with the disorder, by suggesting it is something to be ashamed. It’s not. Treatment can be shameful (which I hope improves for people.) A diagnosis shouldn’t be.

I need to add that getting better takes so much time. Someone can be lucky to access help, but due to stigma they struggle to accept the diagnosis and then make progress with treatment. This is what I am facing. I want to take it seriously, but I am scared to resonate with it.

There is nothing wrong with a personality disorder diagnosis. I admit I am maybe lucky to have this perspective, but I am happy sharing it because I am happy to share any hope I have, when I have it. I hope this thread doesn’t come across as entitled; I feel it was important to..