During Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Awareness Month this May, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is raising awareness of the condition and encouraging people to reach out to a local support group if they think they are affected.
About 2 in 100 people are estimated to live with BPD, equating to over 25,000 people in Surrey. The condition affects mood and how you interact with the people around you.
People who have been diagnosed, or who experience complex emotions that they suspect are due to BPD or another personality disorder, can join the Trust’s Service User Network (SUN) without a referral. The service is delivered in partnership with Mary Frances Trust.
The signs of BPD include:
- Feeling very worried about people abandoning you
- Having intense emotions that last from a few hours to a few days and change quickly. For example, feeling very happy and confident before suddenly feeling low and sad
- Feeling very insecure about who you are – your sense of self may change significantly depending on who you are with
- Finding it challenging to make and keep stable relationships – you may view relationships as completely perfect or completely bad
- Acting impulsively and doing things that may cause you harm, such as binge eating, using drugs or alcohol, or driving dangerously
- Experiencing paranoia or disassociation in moments of stress
Freyja Cope, SUN Facilitator with Lived Experience, said:
“Personality disorder is more common than people imagine, and often people can feel shame and stigma around their symptoms.
“It’s so important that people know that there is a community of people who can relate to their experience and support them. You don’t need a diagnosis or a referral to join, we welcome anyone who experiences complex emotions.”
SUN groups are facilitated by mental health professionals and practitioners with lived experience of mental health issues. They take place both in person and online, and offer a supportive and safe space for members to share experiences and provide one another with help and advice.
To celebrate SUN’s fifth anniversary, the service has launched a new video explaining what new members can expect when joining the group and sharing members’ experiences.
Elle, a member of SUN, says:
“I have always felt different in my thoughts and behaviours. Navigating life was a struggle, I felt alone and isolated.
“When I joined SUN I was nervous before my first session, but all the members were supportive and friendly. I shared my experiences and they understood exactly how I felt, which I’d never experienced before. Before long, I felt empowered, understood and validated.
“It has changed my life in a very meaningful way. If you are lacking community and support for complex needs, I highly recommend joining.”
You can watch SUN’s new video, find out more about BPD and other personality disorders and how to join SUN, on the SUN webpage.