MovieChat Forums > Welcome to Me (2015) Discussion > I have Borderline Personality Disorder, ...

I have Borderline Personality Disorder, here are my thoughts

posted 9 years ago by dissipating
43 replies | jump to latest

I have BPD and have been in treatment many times, so this is my experience

UPDATE: I have made a second post after viewing this movie which you can find here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2788716/board/thread/243750109

YES you can take medication for BPD! However, the medication is used to treat symptoms not the actual disorder. No there is no med SPECIFICALLY for BPD. I have tried all sorts of medications for my disorder. Currently I am not on any, and that is how I prefer it. I WAS a very severe case and was kicked out of several residential treatment centers because I was too difficult.

Now, my life is almost manageable. I see a therapist 2 times a week and we dont do any specific type of therapy. DBT is the "official" type of therapy used for BPD and it is very very helpful and very very expensive. That doesnt mean other therapy will not work.

DBT did nothing for me when it came to uncovering my trauma and working through my childhood. Once I was able to understand why I act certain ways due to particular events in my childhood, I was able to overcome them.

Btw, I am almost 25, was diagnosed at 19, and have been exhibiting traits of the disorder since I was 10.

It is a horrible disorder, and usually a life long struggle. It is hard for family members to deal with a borderline. I am lucky that my parents stuck around and now we have a (mostly) healthy relationship.

Actually, today is 2 years sober for me! I never thought I would be able to stop cutting/burning myself, and I am ~4 months free of that. I still struggle with some eating disorder behavior.

It isn't hopeless and we are not horrible people, although we may act horribly sometimes.

I am DELIGHTED to see a comical approach to this disorder in film. I know it will also be a drama. But I am so tired of people thinking all people with BPD are like the female character in Fatal Attraction! It just isn't true. Of course some of us can be like that, but why is it always focued on that?

If anyone is interested in watching movies about this disorder, I highly suggest a french film entitled Betty Blue, which in my opinion, has been the most accurate portrayal of BPD in cinema.

[–] etchedintin 9 years ago

This is such a great post! I have BPD too.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Hugo-James 9 years ago

That's really nice to hear. It's always nice to feel represented properly.

Hope your treatment continues on the right track!

[–] orignlsinz 9 years ago

Fatal attraction was more along the lines of NPD than BPD. That being said, Sharon Stone's character was high-functioning, and not readily detectable to the untrained observer. Kristen Wiig's character, on the other hand, is obviously low-functioning, and can't mask her dysfunction. My real concern for the film is that they are going to gloss over the destructive and debilitating aspects of BPD, in a "BPD is as harmless as ADHD" kind of way that hollywood always tends to do. I'm sure that as a longtime sufferer of BPD you can attest to how truly damaging it is to the relationships with those around you, and how it distorts your perception of reality, especially if left untreated. Hopefully, they give us an honest portrayal of the disorder, though, I won't be holding my breath on that one.

[–] dissipating 9 years ago

Have you seen Betty Blue? It is a french film and is by far the most accurate representation of BPD I have ever seen. It is very long however.

Yes BPD is extremely damaging in all areas of life - i am still really only on the beginning of my recovery w/ the stopping of behaviors and mild awareness of destructive thinking patterns. And I have been in treatment for going on 5 years. I anticipate I will struggle with many aspects of the disorder my whole life

Also I think you are confusing Fatal Attraction with Basic Instinct, Glenn Close was in Fatal Attraction and Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct - but there is not much difference between those characters anyway :P

NPD is also a cluster B personality disorder, as well as ASPD and they all can overlap to an extent.

As for the worry of overlooking the severity of the disorder, that is too hard to tell from the trailer. Her dysfunction is obvious and I don't think that will be overlooked.

Anyway, check out Betty Blue if you haven't seen it and want an accurate portrayal of this illness!

[–] mmathur5689 9 years ago

thanks for sharing. I am really looking forward to this movie. I like comedies about serious subjects because it feels real. Life is full of ups and downs

I'm glad you are on the road to recovery Thanks again

MathurMarquee.Blogspot.com Facebook.com/MathurMarquee

[–] pliten 9 years ago

As a future doctor, thank you for posting this. I know it must be hard for you to share this online. But all of what you have said is accurate, and I'm sure really helpful for a lot of people!

[–] dissipating 9 years ago

Thanks! I hope it is able to help someone. I went many years being told I was a hopeless case by professionals... it is a very hard recovery but so worth it. :)

[–] viclauyyc-429-111639 9 years ago

Feel for you. I know it is not easy.

Get well soon

[–] dissipating 9 years ago

Thank you! <3

[–] pjbrubak 9 years ago

I've seen Welcome to Me and i have bipolar disorder. I'm managing my symptoms well. I've talked to people who have BPD and I hear stories about self-harm, chaotic relationships, unstable sense of self and it seems like a very difficult, upsetting condition. I think Welcome to Me greatly trivializes this debilitating mental illness for the sake of cheap laughs. The screenwriter seems to be using an obscure mental illness that he believes most of the public will know nothing about, as a way to create a "weird" character who gets lots of laughs for being "crazy." I was offended - and the jokes weren't even funny. For example, all of the dark elements of the illness are absent. No self-harm, no dark emotions, just a paper-thin SNL-style caricature of a troubled human being. As I said, I don't even have BPD but I feel kinship with anyone who has a mental illness because I believe we are all on the same spectrum and share some things in common. Ultimately, I will respect the opinion of someone who had BPD on the topic of Welcome to Me, even if they liked the film. I just was disappointed by another movie industry fail at portraying the reality of what it's like to struggle with a mental illness.

In the Queue: Film Conversations with Andrew and Phil
http://in-the-q.blogspot.com

[–] dissipating 9 years ago

Thanks for sharing your opinion! BPD and bipolar disorder do have things in common, especially mood related things. And I absolutely understand where you are coming from in your thoughts and opinions towards this film.

I just want to note that not all people with borderline personality disorder act out in extreme ways. These people are often referred to as quiet borderlines, and I feel that this film may resonate with them the most given your description.

That said, I am sorry that the film offended you. I have mentioned in other replies that people who wants a realistic portrayal of this disorder should look into a french film called Betty Blue.

Also, I want to add, I havent seen this film yet. Only the trailer.

[–] lcafiso 9 years ago

Well said pjbrubak! I completely agree.

[–] pjbrubak 9 years ago

Again, I just want to emphasize I have bipolar disorder, not borderline personality disorder (BPD), but I feel they have similarities.

In the Queue: Film Conversations with Andrew and Phil
http://in-the-q.blogspot.com