JulieMcKinney it's very frustrating struggling for years. Many people just "don't get it". I agree with you about the DBT. Even though I haven't technically been diagnosed with BPD I wish I had taken the DBT therapy years ago. May have saved a lot of grief. I'm trying so very hard to become aware of my distorted thinking patterns right now. At least it's a start to recovery I think. Hope you have a great day :)

A bit of trivia for you.. It used to be called borderline because they thought it was on the borderline of psychosis and neurosis. The difference between those 2 I have not got a clue. They are also now looking at changing personality disorder label and just calling it a disorder. I think that's a kinder way of describing it. But emotionally unstable is as it says on the box. Your emotions are unstable, totally, and it affects many many parts of your life. I for example have to take people off my Fb page if they post anything to do with animal cruelty or TV for fear they'll do it again. I cannot bear the images and will cry and have nightmares for days. I find that part of the illness easy to explain and for me and others to understand. Try to explain the other symptoms and they haven't a clue. I just wish I had been diagnosed and made aware of it many years ago and had DBT coping mechanisms, before I got to 56 and suffered massively. :(. Xx

Borderline personality disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder are the same thing.Im still waiting for DWP to sort out my ESA,ive been off work since Jan,but unemployed since June as the wouldnt keep my job open any longer,which was fair enough,but my mental illness had never affected my work before.I dont understand why it takes so long to sort out benefits,if we owed them money they would be straight on our case,struggling to make ends meet :(

There are highs and lows to the illness like bi-polar, more lows for me personally. The initials are Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. (EUPD). It involves a lot of symptoms, including fear of abandonment, feelings of worthlessness, emptiness, stormy unstable relationships etc, Emotions are elevated either upwards or downwards rapidly from 0-10. We don't feel simple love, it is all-consuming, irritability=rage, happy=ecstatic, sad=depressed, there are few Inbetween stages. There are many symptoms. A personality disorder means that it is a mood illness that can affect all parts of your life all of you life. In other words it doesn't go away and impacts on your life massively. They believe some of it is hereditary, a lot due to child abuse. Hope this helps. X

I know there's new criteria for all types of benefits now. It would probs be a waste of time. So miserable.i feel so bleak. I'm mentally ill, I've struggled to work when I'm well, but I'm 56, the worst I've ever been. My brain doesn't even seem to,work now. I have to be totally switched on to do my job, and I am most certainly not. I also have an end stage arthritis in my mid foot so cannot stand for long lengths of time. So what do they think I can do. So, out of work, miserable, no money, so can't do anything to make myself feel better. This into a yawning abyss with no hope. How is it possible to build up. 😢