Owing to all of your donations so far, we've been able to launch our website borderlinepersonalitydisordercollective.com!
We honestly can't begin to thank you enough, cheers all and big big love xxx
What is BPD?
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behaviour, and relationships. People with BPD have difficulty regulating their emotions and controlling their impulses. It is unfortunately one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood mental health conditions; even within the mental health sector, there are professionals who refuse to treat those with BPD. This can leave folks living with BPD and their loved ones feeling unsupported, isolated and lonely.
Estimates of the prevalence of BPD vary between 0.7 and 2% in the British population, as many as 80% of people with BPD have suicidal behaviours
...and one in ten people with Borderline Personality Disorder will die by suicide. Read that again.
Peer support for those living with BPD is thin on the ground - locally, nationally and internationally. The Bristol BPD Collective recognises the importance of community, shared experience and hope in recovery, and aims to provide that through a weekly face-to-face peer support group.
Our mission:
- To facilitate a safe space free from judgement and discrimination, and foster a validating, non-punitive environment for BPD Collective Peers to express their authentic selves
- Build person-centred connection based on compassion, understanding, openness and intentional communication
- To share experience, skills and knowledge; and to work toward spreading awareness and reducing stigma around Borderline Personality Disorder
- To nurture a sense of belonging to a supportive community that empowers its members to focus on their strengths and create meaningful lives worth living for
What your donation will help support:
- Weekly 2 hour sessions open to anyone diagnosed with BPD, CPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), anyone who identifies as experiencing emotional dysregulation and strong emotions, or is BPD curious - Dates TBC
- Every other week, hosting our loved ones to share the space in a blended group including friends, family, mental health and social workers - Dates TBC
- Collaborations with South West Carers 4 BPD to organise monthly socials
- Mental Health Training for group facilitators
- Building a website that signposts users to information about the Bristol BPD Collective, meetings and socials calendar, DBT and mindfulness resources, other mental health organisations, and local mental health and crisis teams - Now live !
- Paying upfront costs for big bi-annual fundraisers
- Collaborations with other Bristol Peer support groups for socials/mixers/events
- Resources for monthly BPDC book club
- Designing and printing posters to advertise our meetings locally
- Teas & coffees (and maybe some cheeky biccies!) for our weekly meetings, as well as other useful stationary bits & art supplies to support our open discussion, skill sharing and gratitude periods
About the Facilitator/Crowdfunder organiser:
My name is Jade (she/her, 32) originally from Swansea and now living and working in Bristol as a full time Facilities Manager.
I was diagnosed with BPD when I was 19, after my first suicide attempt. During my 20s I was in and out of mental health services for my BPD, though I've never received any consistent therapy or care, and used alcohol to self-medicate.
I started my recovery from alcohol addiction in December 2022, and on my recovery journey I found that weekly meetings with SMART Recovery have been an incredible source of support and essential to my sobriety; so I endeavoured to find the same peer support within the community of those living with BPD. I quickly discovered that the only group that exists in Bristol is for the carers, friends and family of those who experience BPD; and this seems to be common in cities internationally.
Though I have no facilitator experience, it was an absolute no-brainer for me to start work on building the Bristol BPD Collective. I know that taking on such a project alone is quite a challenge, but I also know how isolating, devastating and othering BPD can be. Everyone has inherent worth and dignity, and deserves to feel love, belonging and to find their tribe.
Your help will give this project the roots it needs to start this community, support its members and maybe even inspire others nationwide to do the same!
Cheers for reading, and thank you so much for all and any support you can give to the Bristol BPD Collective xx