Hi @Daisy16 ,

Welcome to this thread! I hope to create a network for people with BPD to come together to share their experiences.

I battled BPD for many years (15+ years). Today, I can say I no longer battle it, but have learnt to embrace it and live very successfully with it. My BPD traits have not 'disappeared', but I now have a much deeper understanding of the diagnosis and I'm able to work with it.

In terms of stigma in the mental health system, most definitely yes! As soon as people saw the letters 'BPD', I felt disregarded, shunned, ignored and left. There are only a handful of people I have come across who have treated me as a 'person' and not a label. These people have had the most impact on my life. They knew how to handle my instability including setting up strict boundaries. 

This leads onto your next question @Daisy16 . How to set these boundaries? Well, I initiated them with my therapist and we talked it through. I knew I needed boundaries to keep both sides safe. I am grateful for these boundaries set because I am able to use my therapist-client relationship as a practice ground for relationships outside therapy. Because I have practised these boundaries with my therapist, I am able to set these boundaries and be more mindful of them when I am with other people. Hence with other people, upon reflection, they are more 'unspoken' boundaries. I hope this makes sense.

Finding a good match for a therapist is essential. They not only need to know how to deal with BPD traits, but must also be a good match for you. 

Communication is probably the hardest, yet most crucial element to BPD recovery. I used to keep everything inside me which bottled up and then I exploded. Treatment has allowed me to speak and seek clarification about situations.

@Daisy16 , there is great hope for pwBPD. Please continue to reach out, especially if you have any other questions.

BPDSurvivor