Diagnosis

See your GP if you're concerned that you have borderline personality disorder (BPD). They may ask about your symptoms and how they're affecting your quality of life.

Your GP will also want to rule out other more common mental health conditions, such as depression, and make sure there's no immediate risk to your health and wellbeing.

If your GP suspects BPD, you'll probably be referred to your local community mental health team (CMHT) for a more in-depth assessment. Ask if the service you're being referred to has experience of working with personality disorders.

You may also find the Mind website useful.

Community mental health team (CMHT)

A CMHT helps people with complex mental health conditions such as BPD. However, some teams may focus only on people with psychotic disorders. In other areas, there are complex needs services that may be better placed to help you.

Your assessment will probably be carried out by a specialist in personality disorders, usually a psychologist or psychiatrist. The assessment will involve being asked about your thoughts and feelings, what you feel you are good at and where you have difficulty, and how you're managing day to day.

Involving your family

Once a diagnosis of BPD has been confirmed, it's recommended that you tell close family, friends and people you trust about the diagnosis.

There are several reasons for this.

Many of the symptoms of BPD affect your relationships with people close to you, so involving them in your treatment may make them aware of your condition and make your treatment more effective.

Your family and friends can then remain alert for any behaviour that may indicate you're having a crisis.

They may also benefit from local support groups and other services for people in a relationship with a person with BPD.

However, the decision to talk about your condition is entirely your own, and your confidentiality will be respected at all times.

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