[bpdtransformation]

Hi All,

I recently rewrote my story of struggling with and overcoming the borderline label, linked below. I hope this account will be encouraging despite its painful parts. It provide an example of how things can ultimately go really well after getting a BPD diagnosis, and it outlines a model of how to think about "borderline" symptoms without identifying with the borderline label. I recognize that not everyone endorses this approach, but if people don't want to accept BPD as a valid label, they shouldn't have to.

Here's my story:

https://bpdtransformation.wordpress....lity-disorder/

Edward

Originally Posted by bpdtransformation

Hi All,

I recently rewrote my story of struggling with and overcoming the borderline label, linked below. I hope this account will be encouraging despite its painful parts. It provide an example of how things can ultimately go really well after getting a BPD diagnosis, and it outlines a model of how to think about "borderline" symptoms without identifying with the borderline label. I recognize that not everyone endorses this approach, but if people don't want to accept BPD as a valid label, they shouldn't have to.

Here's my story:

https://bpdtransformation.wordpress....lity-disorder/

Edward

I will read this later tonight, but for now, I just had to say - THANK YOU !!!

I'm in a very similar situation and mindset (triumphed over BPD, don't accept the label), so I very much am looking forward to reading what you posted.

Thanks !

Edward, I cannot begin to express how much I appreciate your article. I just finished reading it. My God ! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

*** People on this forum, you MUST read this article. It cannot be missed ***

What a touching story ! You are an amazing writer ! As I was reading your story, I kept looking at the scrollbar because I was so anxious to read about the happy ending

You are so very eloquent and intelligent. I love your way of looking at BPD and love how you challenge popular viewpoints. We need more people to do the same !

I am so glad you finally found love Very happy for you. Though I have largely improved, I will never find love in my life.

People like you MUST voice your words out loud to dispel the myths about BPD. This world needs more people like you.

Sincerely, thank you, Edward, and wish you nothing but pure happiness for as long as you live.

[bpdtransformation]

Thank you! And as it says in that Inception clip, don't be afraid to dream a little bigger for yourself :-) No one is beyond finding love, given enough time, support and understanding.

[Crazy Hitch]

I'm really glad you've managed to overcome your BPD diagnosis.

Isn't it funny how someone posts a wonderfully positive thread like this one here, and there are a mere 4 responses to it, one of which is from the original poster.

Just goes to show how much negativity overwhelmingly dominates the forum.

Sad.

[dancinglady]

Great story. Glad it all worked out 4 u. Sounds like psychodynamic was the way to go. It is horribly expensive here in the USA. Most sufferers are not given that opportunity. Insurances don't like paying for this.

Hope your life works out well.

[bpdtransformation]

Thanks Dancing lady and Lilodian.

I wish that intensive psychotherapy would be broadly made available at free or very low cost to people who roughly meet BPD criteria..

People say, "Oh this is too expensive and will never happen." It may not happen soon in the USA, but I'd argue that the economic issue should be framed as followed: With people labeled BPD, the lost productivity related to inability to work full-time, inability to get better degrees/job training, cost of federal-state disability programs for related diagnoses which cost taxpayers, hospitalizations, medications, etc.... all of these things which result from severe borderline symptoms have to be measured over a lifespan for each person of decades. These lost productivity costs and the disability costs for BPD must be enormous, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars per person over a life-span.

However, if intensive 2-3x weekly psychotherapy could be provided for 3-5 years to BPD patients, much of these lost productivity and disability costs could be avoided. But, for short-sighted political reasons, and for reasons related to drug companies' need to profit from managing emotional problems via palliative pills rather than by providing emotional help that can cure... for these reasons, it is somewhat unlikely, at least in America, that things will change.

Here is an example of the cost analysis:

JAMA Network | JAMA Psychiatry | Outpatient Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Randomized Trial of Schema-Focused Therapy vs Transference-Focused Psychotherapy

This study shows how, when a large group of about 90 borderline patients were given free twice-weekly psychodynamic psychotherapy for three years, a majority of them no longer met criteria for BPD by the end of the study, many considered themselves "recovered", and society actually saved money compared to "treatment as usual" (meaning brief hospitalizations, medications, and no intensive therapy).

(Quote below is from this link) Major Outcome Study

The authors said, "Although the treatment involves many sessions over three years, schema therapy is nevertheless cost-effective. An economic analysis conducted by the authors of the study (not included in the Archives article) indicated that, for each year schema therapy patients were in the study, Dutch society benefited from a net gain of 4,500 Euros per patient (the equivalent of about 5,700 US dollars), despite the cost-intensive treatment. The savings over the course of several years after the completion of treatment could actually prove to be higher.

Schema therapists and researchers are hoping that this validation of the effectiveness of Schema Therapy for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder -- that for so many years has been considered intractable - will lead to more research studies and will encourage more clinicians to learn Schema Therapy. They also hope that this study will convince healthcare insurers to reimburse for the costs of effective longer-term psychotherapy for this painful and costly illness."

I hope that people will start asking their elected representatives to do something about this, whether or not it makes a difference right away. In my opinion we are lagging behind some northern European countries which are starting to provide more intensive treatment for "borderline" conditions, and are both helping people and saving money as a result.

[AzulOscuro]

Originally Posted by bpdtransformation

Hi All,

I recently rewrote my story of struggling with and overcoming the borderline label, linked below. I hope this account will be encouraging despite its painful parts. It provide an example of how things can ultimately go really well after getting a BPD diagnosis, and it outlines a model of how to think about "borderline" symptoms without identifying with the borderline label. I recognize that not everyone endorses this approach, but if people don't want to accept BPD as a valid label, they shouldn't have to.

Here's my story:

https://bpdtransformation.wordpress....lity-disorder/

Edward

Edward, thank you very much for your article.
I also have read in the forums how people talks about borderlines in a really, really negative way.

As you can see in my signature, I'm waiting for a second diagnosis and I know there are some things I have to work but I'm not gonna insist in the diagnosis. I only want to solve some things in therapy but I'm not gonna hug any label. Not, anymore.

[bpdtransformation]

Thanks Azul and good for you for not taking the labels too literally.

Certainly you shouldn't take it seriously if someone in an online forum tries to diagnose you!

But, even if a so-called "professional" diagnoses you with something, you are always entitled to a second opinion. And psychiatrists are not gods, they can and do get diagnoses completely wrong.

The deeper issue is whether diagnoses like BPD have a strong underlying reliability (and thus validity), which to me they clearly don't.

[Mondew]

Your article truly made me not give up in finding help. Thank you...Thank you.

[Crazy Hitch]

Thanks for the thread bump I haven't read this for a while it's and it's a good read

[arcticranger]

Great success story thanks. My own diagnosis from a leading New York authority on BPD was as follows:

1) dr: (reads crtieria from DSM IV)
2) me: "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, no, yes, yes"
3) me: "do I have BPD"
4) dr: "you fit the criteria"
5) me: "what can I do"
6) dr: "you'll need a lot of money"

True story and he was right about the money. The cheapest CBT/DBT program for BPD in NYC care is about $2500 per month, no insurance accepted. The better ones are upwards of $8000. There are no openings, these are all at capacity with a very rich clientele. Not that I'd be able to afford any of them anyway.

BPD is booming. And fashionable!

[Crazy Hitch]

Wow arcticranger - I can't believe that the cheapest care in NYC is $2500 that's an astronomical amount for people who need support for MI. Gee that's harsh.

[dancinglady]

Originally Posted by arcticranger

Great success story thanks. My own diagnosis from a leading New York authority on BPD was as follows:

1) dr: (reads crtieria from DSM IV)
2) me: "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, no, yes, yes"
3) me: "do I have BPD"
4) dr: "you fit the criteria"
5) me: "what can I do"
6) dr: "you'll need a lot of money"

True story and he was right about the money. The cheapest CBT/DBT program for BPD in NYC care is about $2500 per month, no insurance accepted. The better ones are upwards of $8000. There are no openings, these are all at capacity with a very rich clientele. Not that I'd be able to afford any of them anyway.

BPD is booming. And fashionable!

You got that one right. Now that there is DBT everyone could actually get diagnosed. Funny that it is all the rich going for treatment. Sounds like a lot of dysfunctional families kids are growing up in now. Have you considered moving to another area. I know of a clinician that worked in the public mental health system. He opened his own practice hired loads of LCSWs and he is now a millionaire. If you weren't a BPD before u walked in you still got into the DBT program cuz everyone is eligible for the program.

[Crazy Hitch]

Originally Posted by dancinglady

You got that one right. Now that there is DBT everyone could actually get diagnosed. Funny that it is all the rich going for treatment. Sounds like a lot of dysfunctional families kids are growing up in now. Have you considered moving to another area. I know of a clinician that worked in the public mental health system. He opened his own practice hired loads of LCSWs and he is now a millionaire. If you weren't a BPD before u walked in you still got into the DBT program cuz everyone is eligible for the program.

Great story about the clinician and how it all worked out with him.

Thank you for sharing this with us dancinglady

[Nicky123]

Thank You very much for this article. I had to read it twice because much of what you wrote I had often wondered about myself, but was unable to articulate it, and was so excited that I was racing through it.. I am going to read it again too. You have given me a bit of peace of mind. I am new to the diagnosis but have been in and out of the psychiatric system for over 30 years. I was SO unhappy when diagnosed, I felt that it was just another slap in the face, because having felt quite misunderstood by Mental Health 'Professionals'...here I am being given this 'awful' new label. I suddenly feel more ok about it now because your article tells me that we are being viewed unfairly and by attaching this label just adds to the feeling of hopelessness. Thank You for all the time you have put into your research and your refusal to accept this label. I think you should write a book(you have a wonderful command of language). It is so great that, at a young age, rather than sit around and just wither in 'BPD' you have found life and all the good it can offer. Thank you.

[Mindful55]

i just noticed this thread, I will read your article during quiet time.

I basically felt relief after my DX. It exclaimed who I am; not as a label; but what was changeable.

So very hard.

Thank-you

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

[Crazy Hitch]

Mindful I was confused / relieved / dunno at my dx at first I was like huh? lol

I've just learnt to accept it.