Hi there! I’ve seen this video floating around, with many people making similar comments to this. I’ve been made aware that this employee has borderline personality disorder, so as your friendly BPD buddy I thought I could shed some light on what’s happening here (thread): https://twitter.com/freddiegibbs/status/1386519639165792256

To start, I’d like to include a trigger warning for mental illness, mania, and self-harm.

Included are the posts where the employee discusses the video. (I also just want to note that harassing any lower-wage employee at their job is wrong, no matter their mental health history)

Borderline is an emotional regulation disorder that causes abrupt and exaggerated reactions to emotional stimuli. I describe it like standing in the bottom of an empty swimming pool, and suddenly it’s filled with water while you’re still chained to the ground. It’s that sudden.

One misconception about BPD is that our violent reactions are a danger to those around us, but in reality we suffer from some of the highest rates of self-harm and suicidality. We tend to direct our anger inward - approximately 65-80% of people with BPD have engaged in self-harm.

What struck me about this clip is how when they finally reacted, the employee lashed out not by attacking the customer, but by hitting themselves and smashing their head against the computer before withdrawing back into an emotional doom spiral (“You’ve ruined my entire life!”)

With BPD, every minor inconvenience feels like your world is spiraling out of control. One bad interaction can cause you to believe that your entire future is in immediate jeopardy. It takes a HUGE amount of mental restraint not to explode when we get negatively stimulated.

So what I see here is a mentally ill person who was repeatedly pushed past their own limits losing control and doing absolutely anything in their power to escape that situation - except attacking the customer. So rather than paint them as a danger, let’s show a little compassion.

Just want to plug this interview I did with @anthonypadilla about the very basics of what living with BPD is like, for those who might be interested in learning more about this extremely stigmatized disorder!

Also, for anyone who may have BPD or just any other form of anxiety/mental stress, this journal was designed based on tactics used in cognitive behavioral therapy and has recently been super helpful to me in avoiding emotional doom spirals! (not sponsored) https://www.amazon.com/Worry-IV-Nothing-Discreet-Promotes/dp/1792339496