NEW YORK, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Education Alliance for
Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD) and the National Alliance on
Mental Illness (NAMI) commended the U.S. House of Representatives for its
recent Resolution supporting May as Borderline Personality Disorder
Awareness Month.
On April 1, 2008, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved
the bipartisan House Resolution (H. Res. 1005) sponsored by Representatives
Thomas Davis (R-VA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to support the goals and
ideals of a Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. Representative
Davis stated that "Raising awareness of this disease is an important first
step toward getting the recognition and research dollars that, hopefully,
can help future victims and their families avoid the enormous suffering
this disease causes."
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) afflicts 4 million adults and
adolescents. BPD is a leading cause of suicide, with a suicide rate 400
times the rate of the general public. BPD has a combination of symptoms,
including intense fears of abandonment, episodes of rage, self-injury,
substance abuse and impulsive behavior. Many with BPD are unable to work.
Others may be high functioning in certain settings, though their private
lives and relationships are often in turmoil.
Relatively new as an official diagnosis, BPD is decades behind in
research, treatment, awareness and family education. Although BPD is as
common as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, it is far less known.
According to Perry D. Hoffman, Ph.D., President of NEA-BPD, "BPD is the
most misunderstood mental illness, and consequently is often
under-recognized and misdiagnosed. Despite the many myths, research shows
that there is much HOPE for recovery."
Michael Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of NAMI, praised Congress,
stating that "The designation of May as Borderline Personality Disorder
Awareness Month is an important opportunity to highlight the seriousness
and magnitude of this debilitating condition, as well as to draw public,
professional and media attention to this mental illness."
Well it is a start I guess and we will have to see what kind of attention this raises in the media over the next month. I am not very optimistic but I hope I am wrong on this one. Take care
5 comments:
The only way the media is going to learn about BPD awareness month is if we let them know. Send a letter to your local newspaper, tv station, or radio station and let them know about the disorder. Or copy and paste this press release and send it to them. Awareness is going to take us all doing our part.
I hope you're wrong too. I hope this does bring some attention to BPD. I'm just amazed at how many people have never even heard of it, considering how many people are affected by it.
Thanks for the information. I'll pass it on through my own blog.
your articles are always so detailed, are you also posting them on ant article sites? You really should.
You should also put your posts up at
healthranker.com.
I posted this post http://healthranker.com/MentalHealth/untreatable-s-blog-borderline-personality-self-harm-depression-may-is-borderline-personality-awareness-month/ already, sort of get you going.
Thanks Richard but I did not write this article. It came from www.prnewswire.com
take care
Hi,
Just found your blog..thanks for being so brave. May was the month that my recently diagnosed BPD wife moved out of the house (kind of a cosmic coincident...not particularly funny, though). Divorce proceedings were started and then recently called off...she wants to reconcile. I've agreed to couples therapy (again), she sees her own therapist as do I. She doesn't see a Pschiatrist (although she has a past diagnosis of PTSD.
Like you she is a Mental Health Professinal, I think she uses her knowledge to keep her diagnosis at arms length.
Anyway, everyone except the couples therapist says I should run...I love her and always have. The BPD diagnosis doesn't scare me (my Mom is BPD) as long as she is willing to work and explore finding a way to live happily with the syndrome.
Anyway, thanks for being there...I'll check back often
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