The Bottom Line
Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery From Borderline Personality Disorder, by Rachel Reiland is a firsthand account of living with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is a honest depiction of her life and her treatment, providing unique insight into the mind and behaviors of someone with BPD.
Both BPs and non-BPs can benefit from this book.
- Written by a person who was diagnosed BPD
- Engaging, honest storytelling
- Provides firsthand insight into the illness
- Clearly illustrates the challenges faced in treatment and daily life for the BP
- Does not focus on blaming
- May trigger issues in some readers
Description
- Author: Rachel Reiland
- Publisher: Hazelden
- ISBN: 1-592-85099-5
Guide Review - Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery From Borderline Personality Disorder
From the beginning, the author bares all. The descriptions of her anger outbursts are raw and uncensored. She does not place blame, but instead describes her thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, giving a first-person account of her experiences.
It is not until well into her treatment, and thus well into the book, that she learns the name of her disorder. Although the book is about her recovery from borderline personality disorder, the author maintains the voice of her experience without relying on academic explanation of her experiences. In her narration, she sometimes seems as bewildered by her behaviors as others do.
Although the author does provide some glimpses into her childhood experience through anecdotes at the beginning, the book has more of a real-time flavor. She focuses on her internal adult-person processes and gives insight into a disorder that only someone with BPD could give.
It is possible that the raw depiction of the author's experience may trigger issues for those with BPD; therefore, the reader should take precautions to ensure safety.
