Article 4: Borderline Personality Disorder - A Layman's Perspective

There are actually two things called borderline personality disorder. There are the low functioning borderline patients that are hospitalized, that cut themselves, and who are the primary focus of many of the studies and more effective therapies.

Then there are the high functioning borderline patients that to all the world seem normal, or even saintly. Princess Diana is reputed to be one of these high functioning borderlines as is Martha Stewart. High functioning borderlines are seldom hospitalized, but they create a situation of unbearable suffering for their families. The reason for this is that the families are not believed when they tell friends about the suffering they go through.

Since it most often goes undiagnosed, there is no therapeutic support in most cases for high functioning borderlines, so they most often never get better.

...See this feature article