I've been thinking for quite some time about writing a book. What's prompting me to do so isn't so much about making money, but about shining a spotlight on what I consider to be an often overlooked, almost invisible subset of BPD sufferers who do not display the stereotypical descriptions that are continually given in books, Web sites, and even scholarly articles about how people with BPD think and behave.

Much of the information I've read about people who suffer with BPD indicate that we are demanding, manipulative, aggressive, attention seeking, self-injurers who lack empathy and are prone to attacks of rage. While it is true that people with BPD can and do display these qualities at times (as well as folks without BPD or a mental health diagnosis!!), I do not believe that this description accurately portrays many of us who suffer with BPD. It bothers me to see us continually portrayed in one specific way, which is often very negative.

The DSM-V lists 8 or 9 symptoms of BPD, and it takes only 5 of those symptoms to be diagnosed with it. Not all of us share the exact same 5 symptoms, or the same constellation of symptoms. I think I read somewhere that 5 of the symptoms listed in the DSM-V could be grouped in like 256 different ways. I don't believe that the mental health field, and certainly not the public, are recognizing the complexity of BPD and the fact that not all people with BPD can be assumed to display it in the same way. It's inaccurate to continue describing us in one stereotypical way again and again. Also, if professionals who seek to treat us, and family members and friends who wish to help us, they can't rely only on the books and articles currently written about BPD because they will react to us in ways that are recommended for people with BPD that fit that common stereotype. What works for one of us doesn't work for all of us.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the current books and articles about BPD describe us accurately? Or not? If not, what information do you think is missing?