Borderline personality disorder (BPD) affects around 5.4% of Canadians. For such a relatively high prevalence, though, the general population tends to understand this condition poorly. The lack of understanding about BPD can lead people to treat these individuals with fear or ridicule. People with BPD may also overlook their symptoms as a sign that their personality is broken or unworthy. BPD Awareness Month takes place every May in the United States. While it may not be a tradition in Canada, we think it is critical to spread awareness about BPD since it is such a misunderstood condition. Keep reading this guide to learn more about BPD Awareness Month and how it can help people with BPD and their loved ones. Or check out our blog post to learn about borderline personality disorder, its symptoms, causes, and more.

The History of BPD Awareness Month

The United States House of Representatives declared May BPD Awareness Month. The US House passed the bill on April 1st, 2008, with a unanimous vote of 414-0. The bill is now known as House Resolution (HR) 1005.

Yet, the push for this month-long recognition of BPD and people who struggle with the disorder started long before that.

US-based psychoanalyst Adolf Stern came up with the term “borderline” back in the 1930s. At the time, he conceived BPD as a personality disorder between psychosis and neurosis.

Psychosis means symptoms that mean someone has lost touch with reality. They may experience delusions, hallucinations, and have trouble thinking clearly. Yet, all these symptoms are in the mind.

Neurosis, on the other hand, refers to stress-related symptoms. These symptoms include depression, anxiety, obsessive or compulsive habits, and hypochondriasis. That is excessive anxiety about one’s health.

It was not until 1980 that BPD became a diagnosable mental health condition. Clinicians added this disorder to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) for mental health disorders. At the time, the DMS was in its third edition.

After that, research into BPD exploded. To date, it is one of the most studied personality disorders. The  National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) was formed for that reason.

In 2007, the NEABPD was the group that proposed BPD Awareness Month to US Congress. We can thank principal Congressional co-sponsors Tom Davis, a Republican from Virginia, and Nita Lowey, a Democrat from New York.

BPD Awareness Month is not just for people who live with the disorder. It is also a time when their friends, loved ones, and the general population can learn more about BPD and clear up any confusion.

How to Observe Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

People can celebrate Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month however they want. However, the goal is to educate and fight misinformation about this oft-misinterpreted condition.

BPD is one of ten different personality disorders. Experts consider it a Cluster B personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder also fall under Cluster B.

The hallmark symptoms of BPD are unstable moods, low self-esteem, lacking self-image, and erratic behaviour. One of the most common BPD triggers is fear of abandonment. For that reason, having unstable relationships is one of the most common effects of BPD.

People observing someone with BPD may consider them overly sensitive, moody, or difficult. Recognizing the reasons behind BPD symptoms can help foster more compassion and empathy for those suffering.

Another big misconception about people with BPD is that they cannot get better. There is no cure for BPD. Yet, people can learn to overcome their symptoms with psychotherapy and, sometimes, medication.

We recommend the following activities for those who want to observe BPD Awareness Month this year.

Celebrate the Strengths of People With BPD

People with BPD tend to feel highly vulnerable. They tend to be sensitive from growing up in an emotionally invalidating environment. Invalidation from peers and loved ones can exacerbate their vulnerable feelings in adulthood.

For this reason, it is critical to remind people with BPD of their strengths. As we mention in the post on our blog linked above, BPDs also experience positive benefits from their disorders, including:

• Feeling strong empathy toward others
• Being curious about others and their surroundings
• Having courage and boldness
• A capacity for deep passion and love

People with BPD also tend to be intuitive. They pick up one others’ emotions just as much as they pick up on their own. A quality like this makes BPDs good friends to have around during times of crisis.

Encourage Others to Get Educated About BPD

If BPD affects over 5% of Canadians, nearly 2 million people in The Great White North have this condition. The odds are high that most Canadians know someone who has BPD.

BPD often comes about due to negative or abusive childhood experiences. The people who have BPD do not choose to act the way they do. Compassion toward them can go a long way toward easing some of their anxieties.

During BPD Awareness Month, encourage others to get involved, too. Ask friends and peers to reach out to people they may know with BPD. A healthy support system is critical for BPD recovery.

Read Up on and Watch Movies About BPD

There is a lot of research out there about this personality disorder. However, research articles tend to use complicated jargon that the average person can not always understand.

Luckily, there are books and movies meant to teach laymen about people with BPD. Many non-fiction films and books showcase the experiences of real people struggling with BPD.

Those wanting to educate themselves on BPD can watch fictional movies and read novels. These stories showcase fictional accounts of people with BPD but are often based on real people or experiences.

We will talk more about movies and books to pick up during BPD Awareness Month in a moment.

Why Is Borderline Personality Awareness Month Important?

BPD Awareness Month is important for spreading correct information about the disorder and supporting people dealing with it daily. Spreading awareness about BPD is also critical for saving lives.

Around 3.1% of Canadians report attempting suicide in their lifetime. At the same time, about 12% of Canadians say they have experienced thoughts about suicide at least once in their lifetime.

Sadly, the suicide rate among people with BPD is much, much higher than the suicide rate in the general population. Studies show that the suicide rate in people with BPD is 10%.

Suicide rates among adolescents with BPD are also much higher than that of the general population. It is even more prevalent among young women with BPD. BPD-related suicide is the third-leading cause of death among young women.

Moreover, the stigma against individuals with BPD extends beyond the general population. Many therapists are wary of taking on patients with BPD for fear of conflicts. BPD is also often misdiagnosed in clinical settings.

It can be even more difficult for people dealing with BPD to get help. Without seeking treatment, the risk of suicide increases even further.

People with BPD or loved ones of individuals with BPD can call 988. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day to help people struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Movies About BPD

Representation in films and movies is critical for helping people with BPD feel seen. They also help individuals know that they are not alone. Positive films about BPD can even give people hope for the future.

Focusing on films with more positive and less stigmatized messages can be helpful. Movies like Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) definitely fit the bill.

Movies like Girl, Interrupted (1999) and Prozac Nation (2001) offer grittier interpretations of BPD. The former does a great job of contrasting milder forms of BPD with more severe conditions featuring symptoms of aggression.

Fatal Attraction (1987), Single White Female (1992), Monster (2003), One Hour Photo (2002), and American Psycho (200) also depict characters with BPD. However, the people with BPD are the villains of the story. These films may not be the best options for de-stigmatizing BPD.

BPD Books

BPD books offer a more scientific approach to understanding BPD. People who are at the beginning of their journey to understand this disorder can greatly benefit from reading them.

First-person accounts of living with BPD come from books like “The Buddha and the Borderline” by Kiera Van Gelder, “Girl in Need of a Tourniquet” by Merri Lisa Johnson, and “Get Me Out of Here” by Rachel Reiland are all excellent reads for people who struggle with BPD or those who want to know what it is like.

“Stronger Than BPD” by Debbie Corso and “Beyond Borderline: True Stories of Recovery” by Hoffman and Gunderson are inspiring tales about recovering from BPD. These books are great choices for people currently seeking treatment.

For those looking for books that also include a warning about the risks of suicide in people with BPD, try “Remnants of Life on Paper” by Pamela Tusiani and Bea Tusiani.

Pamela ultimately committed suicide due to her battle with BPD. The book includes snippets from her journal. Bea Tusiani, her mother, also included her accounts of watching a loved one struggle with the disorder.

Other books are written specifically for the loved ones of people with BPD. Try “Loving Someone With Borderline Personality Disorder” by Shari Y. Manning or “I Hate You—Don’t Leave Me” by Jerold J. Kreisman.

There are countless other self-help BPD workbook resources to consider. Find a full list at this link.

BPD Facts

Don’t have time to read the books or watch the movies we listed above? Then check out these important BPD facts:

• BPD tends to be more prevalent in women than men
• People with a parent or sibling with BPD have a 5 times greater chance of having BPD, too
• Having a parent or sibling with antisocial personality disorder or substance abuse disorder increases one’s risk for BPD
• Childhood trauma increases one’s risk for BPD
• People with BPD often report that their symptoms lessen with age
• People with BPD are prone to co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, mood disorders, substance use disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), eating disorders, and more
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is one of the most common treatments for BPD
• There are no approved medications for the treatment of BPD
• Many people with BPD never receive a diagnosis
• People with BPD are more likely to receive a diagnosis in a hospital due to high rates of suicide attempts and self-harm
• BPD peaks in adolescence and early adulthood, especially in one’s 20s
• People with BPD are more like to seek therapy than people with other personality disorders
• BPD may be more common in women because they have a higher rate of hospitalization for suicidal behaviours than men
• In Canada, BPD is more common than eating disorders, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and schizophrenia

For more factual information about borderline personality disorder in Canada, check out the resources below.

More BPD Resources

• Canadian Mental Health Association: https://cmha.ca/
• The National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder: https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/
• Now Matters Now: https://nowmattersnow.org/skills
• The Institute for Advancements in Mental Health: https://www.iamentalhealth.ca/Find-Support/Families-Caregivers
• The Sashbear Foundation’s Family Connections Program: https://sashbear.org/family-connections/

Need Help With BPD in Canada?

BPD Awareness Month is the best time to learn more about this personality disorder. Watch movies and read books about people with BPD, celebrate the strengths of your loved ones with BPD, and spread the word to others this May.

Are you or a loved one dealing with the symptoms of BPD? If so, therapy is an effective treatment for this condition.

Simcoe Addiction and Mental Health offers traditional and alternative therapies to help people overcome negative coping mechanisms and thought patterns. Contact us today to learn more about our therapeutic approaches to BPD.