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Having been diagnosed with BPD a year ago, and still being on the wait list for DBT skills classes, I knew I had to do something to help myself while I have been waiting.

I have read a few really good books about BPD that gave me better insights into the disorder than what I had, but they didn't really provide tools to work on getting better, and then I stumbled along this book and it has already made a difference with just one read-through.

I took my time, highlighted important points, made notes in the margins, and did some of the beginner mindfulness practices. I am now going to go through it a second time, with pen and index cards in hand, to make a set of mindfulness cards I can carry with me to help me learn the mindfulness practices.

If you, or someone you love, has Borderline Personality Disorder I highly recommend this book - Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder by Blaise Aguirre and Gillian Galen.

I am currently reading Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified by Dr Robert O. Friedel. It has done a fairly good job of defining and describing BPD for. I am not finished reading it, so can't really comment on the book overall.

I am not diagnosed with BPD, just exploring the possibility. There is so much in the book that I can relate to and some of the relating is just understanding intuitively what is being said with out being able to say why it makes sense; likely I can see myself in what is being said.

I also purchased the BPD Survival Guide - Everything you need to know about living with BPD by Alexander L. Chapman and Kim L. Gratz. I have not started reading this one yet.

I have not purchased or seen anything about the book you mention above, but it is another one to research when I am done the two I have.

Onlytime, if I may ask, what one "symptom" or awareness pushed you to get diagnosed? In the book I am reading, four "symptoms" or groups of behavioural disturbances; poorly regulated emotions, impulsivity, impaired perception and reasoning; and markedly disturbed relationships. I can see parts of me in all of these, but have not pursued diagnosis at this point.

SS

I haven't read either of those books SS, but I will definitely look into them as well.

The other two books I read were "Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living With Borderline Personality Disorder" by Kreisman and Strauss, which I found very helpful in making sense of the symptoms and it also helped my FWH to make sense of a lot of my behaviours through the years.

The second book I read, The Buddha and The Borderline by Kiera Van Gelder, was a memoir, in which the author described what it's like actually living with BPD.

The thing I like about the mindfulness book is that it is giving me ways to manage/reduce my symptoms.

As to my own diagnosis, I actually stumbled into it. FWH and I had moved to a new area and went looking for counselling for both of us. We had intake appointments with an organization and they did assessments which led to referrals to a psychiatrist. I had previously been diagnosed in my late teens/early 20's with BPD but had refused to accept the diagnosis back then.

I meet all of the criteria for BPD, however, the emotional dysregulation is the symptom that is most prominent, likely because I also have a complex-PTSD diagnosis as well.

Out of curiosity, what is it that keeps you from pursuing a diagnosis?

My husband encouraged me many years ago to go to counselling. He could see that I had issues even from when we were first married. My father up and left for another woman and family when I was 11 and did not parent at all after that. Probably saw him fewer that ten times before he died when I was 28 (am 59 now) Add some CSA, rape and teenage promiscuity into the mix and no wonder he could see I had issues. "I" couldn't see it and did not go for counselling until into my 30's. This lasted only a short time as the therapist actually moved away.

It is only since DDay in 2013 that we are reading and learning so much about psychology that we have even found the term BPD among many other terms.

I think my husband mentioned it and I read some info on the net about BPD and started reading more and ordered the two books mentioned. So early stages at this point.

I also live in a rural area two hours from the nearest center that would have the resources to get tested, have not found someone to go to yet, although I have been looking for a counsellor. I have been to IC, three different ones in the last three years, but have not found the match. The last one was the closest, but sadly is not working out either.

I also believe I have complex-PTSD, again from reading, not from being tested. I can dissociate pretty easily, have some symptoms around adult ADHD, plus other symptoms and on it goes.

My husband also mentioned years ago, that when the sun went down, my personality changed. So do I also have or had some issues with DID? So many things to pursue. Perhaps none of the above, just a very mixed up hurt kid that grew up into a hurt adult and never dealt with the grief of the things from long ago.

Just my thoughts.

I will look into the books you mention, particularly the first one on mindfulness.