In this deeply important episode of BPD Diaries: Stories and Science, we discuss the difficult yet important topic of self-harm and suicidal behavior in individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We offer a space for understanding and healing, and show that these actions are not necessarily about seeking attention, they are survival responses to unbearable pain. If you or someone you know is struggling, this episode offers hope and a reminder that recovery is possible, one step at a time.

⛔ Trigger Warning: We will be discussing sensitive topics, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Please take care of yourself and reach out for support if needed.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and let’s keep the conversation going.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with symptoms of BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is absolutely possible.

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Brickman, L. J., Ammerman, B. A., Look, A. E., Berman, M. E., & McCloskey, M. S. (2014). The relationship between non-suicidal self-injury and borderline personality disorder symptoms in a college sample. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 1, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/2051-6673-1-14

Chapman AL, Gratz KL, Brown MZ (2006): Solving the puzzle of deliber-

ate self-harm: The experiential avoidance model. Behav Res Ther 44:371–

394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.03.005

Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., & Linehan, M. M. (2009). A biosocial developmental model of borderline personality: elaborating and extending Linehan’s theory. Psychological Bulletin, 135(3), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015616

Hooley, J. M., Ho, D. T., Slater, J., & Lockshin, A. (2020). Pain perception and nonsuicidal self-injury: A laboratory investigation. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 11(2), 113-123. https://doi.org/10.1037/per0000376

Kleindienst, N., Bohus, M., Ludäscher, P., Limberger, M. F., Kuenkele, K., Ebner-Priemer, U. W., ... & Schmahl, C. (2008). Motives for nonsuicidal self-injury among women with borderline personality disorder. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 196(3), 230-236.

Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2007). Borderline personality and the pain paradox. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(4), 40.