 It's estimated that at least 1 in 100 people have borderline personality disorder, or BPD. In this video, we'll talk about what it's like to have the disorder, as well as how people can recover from it. Here are some of the issues people with BPD face. Significant difficulty, controlling and regulating emotions, otherwise known as emotional liability. Uncertainty of self, what psychiatrists call an unstable self-image. Having intense and unstable relationships repeatedly, which can involve idealising people, then intensely disliking or devaluing them, in relatively short intervals. Feeling an urgent need to avoid being abandoned by other people, even if the abandonment is only imagined. A chronic feeling of emptiness, repeatedly acting in impulsive and risky ways. As you can see, it's a picture of instability. To add to these challenges, BPD is currently under-recognised, and the availability of specific services is limited. The reason may include the ongoing social stigma of mental health conditions, or the challenges that health professionals face in treating BPD. It is quite possible to treat it, but more on that later. Imagine a good friend of yours has BPD. You tell them something about your new partner, and they react ferociously. If you've been hurt by them in one of their more severe episodes of instability, you might struggle to feel empathy towards them. But it's important not to blame the person in such situations, it's not their fault, after all. So what is the cause of BPD? Well, it isn't fully understood. Currently a combination of biological factors and early life experiences such as trauma is thought to contribute to the development of BPD. In diagnosis, psychiatrists attempt to observe a pattern of these features mentioned before. These must be considered inflexible, pervasive, long-standing, and must lead to clinically significant distress or impairment. In terms of recovery, the best treatment results have been shown with a branch of psychological counselling known as dialectical behavioural therapy. Dialectical means concerned with opposing forces, which here are acceptance and change. Think of some of the challenges mentioned earlier. Then consider how that might affect a relationship between a health professional and a person with BPD. It's important to engage clinicians who have thorough experience and understanding of this condition, given that the maintenance of a strong therapeutic relationship is integral to positive outcomes. It may take several goes, but strong improvements are possible. In this video, I've tried to show the challenge and complexity of living with, as well as treating, BPD. A recent Australian Senate committee stated that an inter-marginalisation of this disorder within the community and the mental health sector is urgently needed. And we'll leave it on that note. See you next time.