Article 7: How to Support a BPD Person in Your Life

To be in a relationship with an individual with Borderline Personality Disorder is complex and demanding - even self sacrificing - and requires a great deal strength. Patience, understanding and caring, even in the face of adverity are important, with these highly sensitive and emotionally immature (and sometimes abused) individuals.

Learning about BPD is very important as little is intuitive with BPD. Do not protect the BPD in your life from the natural consequences of their actions. According to Dr. John Gunderson, MD, it is important to allow them to learn about reality. Bumping into a few walls and some failure is necessary.

Boundaries are important, too. But it is important to understand what this really means. You set boundaries by stating the limits of your tolerance in advance. Let your expectations be known in clear, simple language. Too often, people assume that the BPD should know their expectations automatically. This is not a realitic assumption.

This five part guide was written by John G. Gunderson, MD, author of the clinical textbook Psychotherapy for Personality Disorders. This feature also includes an interview wirth Alan Fruzzetti, Ph.D., Director of Research for the NEA-BPD

... See this feature article