Topic Tuesday// BPD Awareness– Flipping the script with a special guest from Spectrum// Tues 6th October,7 pm-8:30pm AEDT

[Former-Member]

@BlueBay It must be so tough, not being able to let your loved ones know about your BPD diagnosis  We all have our good and bad days so I am sure you family would understand and see you as BlueBay regardless of your diagnoses 💕 

[Former-Member]

In organising our event tonight, another one of our community guides - @Teej , have shared to us, “for the longest time DBT was the go-to therapy, and if you didn’t succeed with it a further stigma was created”

So, our question to you @JulianSpectrum  is what are the different types of treatments available for people with BPD? And what are some of the factors that could contribute to the perception of a ‘golden’ treatment for BPD?

[BlueBay]

It is hard. They've never seen me in a crisis. It's hard. That's why I am emotionally drained @Former-Member 

[Shaz51]

@BlueBay  my sister , you have a wonderful daughter , grand daughter and 2 wonderful sons and a husband 

soo proud of you and walking with you every day xxx

[JulianSpectrum]

@Former-Member 

There are several psychotherapies that have accumulated significant evidence for BPD: Mentalization-based treatment (MBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Transference-focused Psychotherapy (TFP), and  Schema-focused therapy (SFT). Whilst there are differences in these approaches, there are also many similarities, and there is growing evidence that treatments based on these similarities ( also known as  ‘common factors’) also help for BPD.

Many factors may contribute to peception of ‘golden’ treatment – more research studies being conducted on a particular treatment, some manuals may appear easier for clinicians to pick up and try, some treatments have more marketing behind them. It’s also important to remember historical context – it was not so long ago that BPD was once thought to be untreatable. One of the earliest treatment studies to provide hope and demonstrate that treatment can help was done by Marsha Linehan and colleagues (DBT) in the early 1990s.

It’s also important to remember that whilst there is evidence that some treatments can help, none of these treatments have a 100% success rate. I raise this in relation to the risk of self-stigma should you try a ‘go-to’ therapy and feel that you don’t succeed at it.  Therapies can not work for all sorts of reasons. One of these can be that it might not be the right sort of treatment for you. We don’t all learn or relate the same way, so there’s no reason to expect that everyone should benefit from just one approach to therapy. Sometimes treatment can be complicated by factors to do with therapist. Sometimes it may just be a really hard to time to commit to an intensive therapy and the challenges it can bring.

[Former-Member]

@Shaz51  I think it would be best to ask your customer to speak with their GP about their concerns for the grandson  

[BlueBay]

Thank you @Shaz51 xxxx

you brought tears to my eyes 

I'm just not dealing with BPD well. Sometimes I wish I didn't kniw the diagnosis. 

[JulianSpectrum]

@BlueBay It can be so hard holding it all in, and it can be so hard risking sharing some of your experiences with those close to you.

[BPDSurvivor]

@JulianSpectrum , could you elaborate on the idea of 'self-stigma'? I think it's very important for everyone to understand it. Since you are the expert here, I'll hand the spotlight over to you 🙂

[BPDSurvivor]

Hugs @BlueBay . We are with you in this.