Women
It all started when…
I fell in love. We married and had children. We argued and had an up-and-down relationship. I should have gotten professional help to learn communication skills and how to build trust, but we divorced. Now, I’m starting over and feel so alone, but realize I need to learn to depend on myself.
Functioning with BPD
Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the way a woman feels and thinks about herself. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed with BPD are women. Even though men may be equally affected, they are more often diagnosed with PTSD or depression.
BPD typically first shows up in adolescence. Over 30% of adult BPD patients have reported that the onset of their self-injurious behavior was before the age of 13. Another 30% reported that this behavior started between the ages of 13 and 17.
Like all personality disorders, BPD exists on a continuum, from mild to severe. It does not have to be a life sentence. Studies have shown substantial remission in many people after 10 years, either on their own, or through long-term therapy modalities. Learning ways to cope with emotional dysregulation in a therapeutic setting is often the key to long-term improvement.
Loving Someone with BPD
Relationships add so much to our lives, but they can also be the source of much of our pain, disappointment and frustration. If you are wanting to examine the patterns in your relationships, and develop more effective strategies around communicating, building trust, and increasing intimacy, I can help. I love helping individuals understand themselves better, and being able to build and improve relationships in their lives.
People with borderline personality disorder are sometimes perceived as fragile and unable to care for themselves. “The misconception is that borderlines are nonfunctioning people, but borderlines tend to be very smart, intellectual people,” says Maureen McKeon, a clinical social worker with extensive experiencing treating people with BPD. “A lot of the time they’re actually very high-functioning.”
Because people with BPD have an emotional vulnerability, their partner may think they need rescuing. This only fuels helplessness and can lead to resentment on both sides. A better way to handle a perceived crisis is to help your partner realize their own potential. Let them know that you support them and believe in them.
An important part of loving someone with borderline personality disorder is realizing that you cannot fix them. You can have a close, loving relationship with them and provide support, but you cannot heal their illness. What you can do is help them connect with high-quality treatment options.
DBT Groups for Women
Learn how DBT SKILLS can help you:
Manage the emotional storms in your relationships.
Stop the self harm and destructive behaviors in your life.
Discover ways to cope with crisis and/or loneliness.
Build and maintain stable and healthy relationships.
Express your needs and wants without fears.
How to Get Started with Therapy
The first step in getting started in individual or group therapy is to fill out a 'Contact Form' form and/or schedule an intake appointment via the online scheduler. You can call me, but most likely you will have to leave a message. Be sure and tell me the best times to return your call, or leave your e-mail address, if I can respond that way.