Hi there, Sana Qadar here from ABC Radio National's mental health podcast All In The Mind.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most stigmatised of all mental disorders.
BPD is characterised clinically by impulsivity, emotional instability, and difficulties in personal relationships.
People often have a massive fear of abandonment and they can shift suddenly from idealising someone to despising them. This makes it incredibly hard to maintain personal relationships — not to mention a job.
Many people with BPD struggle to work at all and the disorder is associated with high rates of unemployment. But that's not to say a job, or even a career, is out of the question for everyone.
In a recent episode of All In The Mind, we heard from a woman named Enya who's built a successful marine career driving boats. But it nearly fell apart in her 20s, before she got treatment for her BPD (and a heads up, this episode deals with some confronting themes).
"I started behind the scenes — which I'm not sure if anyone noticed [at work] — self-harming behaviour," Enya recalls.
As her symptoms escalated, she started to lose interest in work.
At the age of 30, Enya had to stop working altogether.
"I spent a whole year just partaking in dialectical behaviour therapy and really nurturing myself back to health.
"I feel incredibly privileged because I know that this is not everybody's opportunity."
The treatment saved not just her career, but her life.
If you want to learn more about how people with BPD navigate careers, take a listen.
And there’s plenty of great mental health content around the ABC this month as well, including this explainer on ADHD.
Until next time,
Sana
P.S. If you have other topics you'd like to hear more about this year on All In The Mind, send us an email.
And if you — or someone you know — find any of the themes we touch on in this newsletter difficult, please reach out to services such as Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 or the Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
All In The Mind is an exploration of the mental: the mind, brain and behaviour. It airs on Sundays at 1pm and is repeated on Mondays at 11am and Fridays at 2.30am on Radio National. Listen for free on the ABC listen app.
You can find more mental-health-related content on ABC iview, and head to our dedicated page for articles.
