Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a diagnosis with a bad rap. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with the disorder is not a thing of the past, and it's not just a problem in the general public; there are even some mental health professionals who are not fully educated about BPD. Case in point - today I read an advice column written by a clinical psychologist describing people with BPD. In the column the psychologist states that people with BPD do not have a mental illness. This is not accurate -- BPD is a legitimate psychological disorder recognized in the DSM-IV; it is an Axis II disorder (rather than an Axis I disorder, like major depression or panic disorder), but that doesn't make it any less of a legitimate condition.
Unfortunately, this sort of misinformation is all over the internet. What can you do about the stigma associated with BPD? Learn more about the disorder, and share your knowledge with other people. People need to understand that BPD is a mental health condition and not "a personality problem."
