The purpose of this lived experience qualitative narrative was for a PhD candidate from Glasgow, Scotland, to explore and better understand her journey through major mental illness which led to a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), fuelling the passion to complete her PhD exploring the experiences of young people ages 14-24 in their journeys with early signs and symptoms of BPD and offer hope to others on similar journeys.
A personal reflection was carried out identifying the early stages and patterns of BPD including emotional dysregulation, self-harm and suicidal ideation along with fears of abandonment. However, her diagnosis was not received until age 32; contemporary research suggests and is evident from this paper, that there are significant benefits to identification and early treatment of the pervasive symptoms of BPD. This paper highlights the challenges and long-term complications of delayed treatment of the symptoms and shows the clear benefits that intervention has at any stage of BPD. Although the associated PhD does not offer participants a diagnosis of BPD, it allows them to reflect on the symptoms that they are experiencing, leading to a better understanding of their daily lives and bespoke lines of treatment they can pursue.
Further, the paper also highlights the importance of well-informed, and appropriately trained, clinician attitudes as well as the cathartic nature of good community connections. The paper concludes that with the appropriate support and treatment, living with BPD symptoms need not be a lifetime sentence of lack of functioning, unemployment and does not limit access to education. The paper offers valuable insight into the life of a BPD patient and ultimately offers hope to those who find themselves with a highly stigmatised condition.