BPD Awareness Week 1-7 Oct 2025 1:10 Uniting for Change

[tyme]

Dear Forums Community,

Once again, we have arrived at BPD Awareness Week.

Each year, 1-7 October marks BPD Awareness Week. 

The theme for this year is:

2025 - ‘1 in 10: Uniting for Change’

Research shows that 1 in 10 suicides are linked to complex trauma or symptoms consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

This year's theme, 1:10 Uniting for Change, looks at calling all to join together to build a shared understanding of BPD; to break down the stigma that surrounds this mental health condition, and to enact change.

I have my own lived experience of BPD, and know from experience that it is a highly stigmatise condition. We CAN do better!

Please join us here as we have this discussion around BPD, 1:1 Uniting for Change.

What do you know about BPD (borderline personality disorder)? How has it affected you or your loved one?

[tyme]

I can speak from personal experience of BPD. It was an emotional roller coaster of a ride. 

What I found was that there was so little known about BPD. I got the diagnosis, but from there, I had no one to turn to. 

And yes, I was in and out of hospital with high levels of suicidal ideation. That's how painful the emotional pain was. 

I think Uniting for Change is absolutely needed. BPD is so misunderstood. I could tell that from the time I received the diagnosis, I was treated differently in hospital. I was a case....a number. A number in and a number out. That's all.

Thank goodness I found prevention and recovery centres to be a lot more helpful than hospital, as well as 18+ months of mentalisation based therapy. 

I stand here today to share that BPD is 100% treatable, despite all the myths out there.

Hold on and don't give up!

[Till23]

Thanks @tyme for your positive post.

There are a lot of overlap symptoms between BPD and cPTSD (a much newer diagnosis), it will be interesting to see what happens in future with stigma, acceptance and treatment of both.

cPTSD is still not a diagnosis in DSM (US), but is in ICD (European) and there is some advocacy around relabelling both as trauma responses.

[tyme]

Actually, there is a call to rename BPD to CPTSD @Till23 . Any thoughts on that?

[Till23]

Hi @tyme it would certainly reduce the stigma around BPD.

I am not a psychiatrist, but I think there are still differences between the two in diagnostic criteria, so I'm not sure.

Certainly both require trauma informed approaches.

Early tomorrow morning I am "going to" (by webinar) a lecture about treatment of trauma related disorders, by a psychiatric trauma service in the UK. I have attended a few lectures and I find them tremendously informative

[tyme]

I'd be interested to hear about it @Till23 . Trauma is a huge area of focus that I seem to be hearing more and more about. I think emergency department staff often need to be a lot more trauma informed - from my experience.

For anyone reading along, here's the link to BPD Awareness Week: https://www.bpdawareness.com.au/

[Till23]

I am looking forward to it @tyme, despite needing to get up way before sunrise - it's on in the early evening in UK.

Trauma is huge and hugely under-recognised. 

EDs have not been set up for MH at all historically. It is changing and there is mandatory training for staff across public healthcare. This is where I am doing my Lived Experience work in public hospitals in NSW but at the health district level, not an individual hospital. If it works out it could have a huge impact for those with MH difficulties. Initially it is for people with MH difficulties accessing care for physical illness, but I am gently angling for MH presentations, one of the employees on team is very keen, but as ever, will be down to $

[Eden1919]

I was misdiagnosed with BPD and it nearly cost me my life I was treated horribly by the mental health services and told I was just attention seeking and a con artist anyway the stigma is horrible and there is a reason it is so much more commonly diagnosed in women because it is being used as the new female hysteria label I am not saying real BPD doesn’t exist it does but I have met some many women misdiagnosed with it it is ridiculous. Hopefully people with BPD start to get treated better by the system. 

[TunedIn]

Hi @Eden1919 

Thanks for contributing to this discussion and sharing your experience. It's not good that being misdiagnosed with BPD almost cost you your life - but I'm glad to hear you were able to find a way through this 🌟 

I also hear what you're saying about being labelled in negative ways. This is not helpful for anyone, no matter what their situation and diagnosis, and also highlights the need for more relational and trauma informed treatment supports🦋.

Thanks again for sharing your story 🌿

TunedIn🌾

[Shaz51]

sending hugs @Till23 , @tyme and sitting with you 

It's not good that being misdiagnosed with BPD almost cost you your life @Eden1919 - but I'm glad to hear you were able to find a way through this 

@TunedIn , @BPDSurvivor