Today is a sad day for the people living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Yesterday, during the trial Depp v Heart, a psychologist called in by Depp's team, was asked to describe the main traits of BPT. She did, in the most eloquent, truthful and yet negative way possible. The doctor pointed out how manipulation, aggression and distortions of reality are the most used behavior of people with BPD.

 

That sucks for people with BPD. Those traits are just a few: People with BPD are extremely loving, they give you everything they have to make you happy. They are smart, quick learners and often very creative. They are generous and have a wicked sense of humour. They are lovable and (sometimes) sociable and friendly. Yes, relationships can be intense, but they are real at that time and some friendships can last decades.

 

When a person with BPD manipulates a situation, it can be because they are experiencing fear of abandonment, rejection or physical threat.

When a person is showing aggressive behavior, it is because they are swapping sadness with anger, their brain cannot cope with the real cause of the sadness.

When a person with PBD is distorting reality (often with visual and auditory hallucinations) they are not choosing these reactions. These episodes are terrifying to experience and to witness. 

Living with BPD can be a lot of fun. Once the person with BPD accepts the diagnosis, embraces it and fully participates in the support available (if not scarce in the UK), life is ok... as ok as yours and mine. People with BPD need love from EDUCATED family and friends, the ones that instead of judging, seek support for themselves in dealing with the tricky situations that BPD can bring.

 

Today I am wondering how we can break this new wall around mental health and illnesses like BPD. I am so saddened by what feels like a step backwards in today's path towards positive talk around poor mental health.

I am wondering what the impact of this trial is going to be for people with BPD, how much more stigma will be attached to this mental illness than it already has.

 

This is not about the trial and who's right or wrong, this is about yet another piece of mis-information dished out to a society that is already unequipped in understanding poor mental health.