Life on the Borderline: Reconceptualising the Experiences of People With a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder

The label of BPD was introduced as a formal psychiatric diagnosis in 1952. The reliability and validity of the diagnosis has been a source of contention in the professional field since this time. The diagnostic criteria have been frequently revised with a view to improve the reliability and validity of the construct. This research aimed to explore the stories of people with a diagnosis of BPD and to assess whether there were commonly shared experiences between them.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people who had been given a diagnosis of BPD. Participants were recruited from a range of internet sources, twitter, forums and support networks. A Grounded Theory analysis of the data was conducted, and three categories were generated; Intense Experiences of Emotion, The Importance of Understanding, and the Fear of Repeated Relational Patterns. A conceptual model was not generated from the data. This was concluded to be reflective of the issues of validity and heterogeneity in the clinical population.
The findings are discussed in relation to existing literature. Clinical implications are made which include paying attention to the individual stories told by people with a diagnosis of BPD, understanding the complex and unique function of self-harm and responding to aetiology rather than symptoms. Finally, recommendations for future research are highlighted.