Description: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex illness that significantly impacts the lives of those who have it, as well as those close to them. In Beyond Borderline, two internationally acclaimed experts on BPD team up to present a rare glimpse into the personal lives and recovery of people with BPD. This provocative book uncovers the truth about this most misunderstood and stigmatized disorder, and offers an opportunity for a reexamination of BPD from the real experts--individuals suffering with it.
Brief description: John G. Gunderson, MD, is professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. At McLean Hospital, he is director of the Borderline Center's clinical, training, and research programs. Gunderson is widely recognized as the father of the borderline diagnosis. He is responsible for seminal research on the diagnosis, its course, its origins, and its treatment. These contributions have always been anchored within his role as a clinician whose practices are practical and compassionate.
Review Quotes: "These survivors hit their mark in helping to change the conversation about borderline personality disorder (BPD), from one of fear and misunderstanding to one of empathy, evidence-based treatment, and hope. BPD is a relatively new DSM diagnosis with a ten percent suicide rate--and relatively new evidence-based treatments. Studies show that nearly forty percent of individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder in fact have BPD, as the editors note. These BPD survivors describe more stable, less chaotic lives, as well as pure gratitude for the mental health professionals who diagnosed their BPD and provided either evidence-based treatment or otherwise compassionate and committed care."
--Jim Payne, former president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness