Borderline Personality Disorder Advocates Needed!

Mental Health Today is beginning a brand new and exciting program! We are asking for volunteers to become advocates for people who suffer from the borderline personality disorder badly and don't have a support system and are in need of assistance.

Advocates will assist these folks in finding medical assistance, counseling, directing them to an emotional support system, etc. If you are interested in becoming an advocate write to Jenn, the BPD Today Advocacy Director.

I cannot tell you how many times I hear these same words in my email or the on the bulletin board over and over and over again by people with the BPD, "I hurt so bad I can't stand it." 

Many of these very intelligent people cut themselves when they feel intense emotional pain, and for them that makes them feel better. 

They not only experience low self-esteem, they loathe themselves. It isn't because of anything they have done. It is due to the disorder themselves. 

Many therapists don't want them on their caseload because they are considered hard to treat, "act out a lot" and manipulate. 

Marsha Linehan will tell you herself that these fine people do not have the skills to manipulate. Yet you see people with this disorder many times hurting so bad, being a danger to themselves and begging to be hospitalized, yet staff interprets their behavior as manipulative and they are turned down. 

The crisis unit in my own neighborhood has told me themselves when they learn a patient has the BPD, they expect to be manipulated. My ex husband's psychiatrist raised his eyebrow when he was informed I had the BPD. 

BPD is on the wrong Axis code in the DSM IV and insurance companies won't cover treatment. Did you now that the bipolar disorder started out on the wrong axis code as well?

Most people think the BPD means you have more than one personality and they have never heard of the BPD. If we tell folks we have the BPD it is common to feel stigmatized. 

So in the midst of all this, we have a person at the very beginning of his journey to recovery. There is no cure at this time, but there is recovery. Depending upon the level the person "has" the BPD, the support system in his/her life, the person is facing a mighty demon as we are literally in the dark ages today in regards to this very painful disorder. 

Reality may be very skewed for this individual, coping skills might be very low or non-existent and suicidal ideation may be turning into the planning stage. As in the book "I Hate You, Don't Leave Me" says, BPDs cannot pull themselves up by their boot strings. We are dealing with a medical disorder that needs to be followed up with appropriate therapy and an additional problem is that very few people out there that are treating this disorder know that. 

This disorder can be treated.

For more information on the description of an advocate volunteer, click here. More information can be found about the program here.

We need volunteers. Write to the Director.

BPD Today Advocacy Program

Advocate Volunteer Description

Consumer Information on Applying for the Program

Consumer Application

Advocate Application