Natasha was diagnosed with BPD at the age of 33 after years of being told she just had depression or she was too 'OVER THE TOP' her entire life - after entering treatment and learning how to adopt DBT skills into her life, her entire way of being shifted for the better and she knew she had to share the wisdom and help others.

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What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)? BPD is a type of ‘personality disorder’. It is an illness that makes you struggle with your emotions and this can affect your relationships with other people. Around 1 in 100 people have BPD. It seems to affect men and women equally, but women are more likely to have this diagnosis. This may be because men are less likely to ask for help. Everyone will experience BPD differently. If you have BPD, you may have problems with:

• feeling isolated or abandoned by others,
• self-harming or suicidal thoughts,
• coping with stress,
• getting on with other people,
• strong emotions that you find hard to cope with,
• misusing alcohol and prescription drugs,
• illegal drugs and substances,
• understanding other people’s points of view,
• staying in work,
• having a long-term relationship, or
• being able to maintain a home.

It is called ‘borderline’ because doctors used to think it was on the border between two different disorders: neurosis and psychosis. Doctors no longer like to use these terms to describe mental illness. It is sometimes called Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). Some people feel that this describes the illness better.

Some people with a personality disorder think that the name is insulting or makes them feel labeled. But doctors do not use this term to make you feel judged or suggest that the illness is your fault. It is meant to describe the way the illness develops.

Helpful Links about BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and DPT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy):

• About BPD | Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems
• What are the signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder? (rethink.org)
• Marsha Linehan: What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)? (psychcentral.com)

More About Natasha Saifolahi:

Article Natasha wrote: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/blog/bpd-can-be-very-misunderstood

Born, raised and residing in North West London, I hail from a mixed background, Persian (Iranian), Russian and Azeri.  After graduating with a BA (hons) in Film Studies and American Studies, I worked in the media industry in a variety of roles. Some of the companies I've had the pleasure to work for include; Prime Video (Amazon), Al Jazeera English, Channel 4, Film 4, Zoopla Property Group and Virgin Media.

I was diagnosed with BPD at the age of 33 after years of being told I just had depression or I was too 'OVER THE TOP' my entire life - after entering treatment and learning how to adopt DBT skills into my life, my entire way of being shifted for the better and I knew I had to share the wisdom and help others.

I am a walking example of how much DBT helped reduce the painful symptoms of BPD, I now have a life I've created that is worth living.  I am also a writer and speaker, I've been published in the following publications; Ham & High newspaper,Time To Change Charity, Londonist, FlickFeast, Women's Health Magazine and The Film Tree. I’ve also just finished my first TV dark comedy series with my writing partner and working on my first short film.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/overthetopwoman

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