What do you know about borderline personality disorder?!

What do you know about borderline personality disorder?

Looking for symptoms from those who have been diagnosed...best medication therapy...outlook, etc.

Sorry for the long and sometimes rambling answer, but I hope some of this is helpful:

I think the previous answerer gave you the official diagnostic criteria, but here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/borderline_...

When I was 17 (10 years ago now), I read the book "I Hate You, Don't Leave Me" (I saw the title just randomly in a bookstore) and knew instantly that I had bpd. I was officially diagnosed when I was 18. I had criteria 1-8, but not really 9, from the list in the link above. I could not separate from people, particularly my then-boyfriend (who stuck with me through it all and is now my husband of 5 1/2 years). All of my relationships were characterized by splitting (the alternation of idealization and devaluation, people are either all good or all bad, and my opinion of them could change very easily!). I cut myself constantly, when I was angry at myself or couldn't deal with my emotions. My mood was all over the place, and highly dependent on the situtation. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

I found that some medication was helpful in dealing with my symptoms. An MAOI was the only antidepressant that ever worked for me. The antipsychotic risperdal was helpful in helping me think more clearly, but I had to stop taking it because of the side effects. My doctor prescribed the epilepsy drug Neurontin off label as a mood stabilizer, and it was also very helpful. I have been on at least a dozen other medications (I should count one day :-)), but I won't go into all the ones that were not helpful. Medications will help with the symptoms, but they won't help the underlying issues. I used the medications to help me manage my symptoms while I worked through my psychological issues in therapy. I have been medication-free for more than a year and a half.

You absolutely must go to therapy! I had a year and a half of intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy in a residential setting, and it was invaluable. I had almost 5 years of further treatment, but I've been out of therapy for the past 2 1/2 years. It's absolutely essential to work out your problems with a therapist, but also you have to believe that eventually you will be able to manage your life on your own and do it without the therapist. DBT was helpful in that I learned better how to manage my emotions non-destructively, but I don't think it should be done on its own, only in conjunction with non-behaviorally focused therapy.

Outlook.... I have met those (mental health professionals included) who believe that those with borderline personality disorder do not get better. I am living proof that that is not true. Eight years ago I was living in a residential treatment center. Seven years ago several treatment programs wouldn't admit me because I was too much of a danger to myself. As recently as three and a half years ago I was briefly hospitalized involuntarily for being suicidal. Two years ago I was struggling to try to get off of medication, and not sure I would be able to do it. Today, I am not in therapy and off of medication. I work full time and go to school part time. I have good/significantly better relationships with my family (depending on the family member). I am happily married for 5 1/2 years to the love of my life. I constantly surprise myself and others. One of my proudest moments was when last year my former therapist told me that he told the parents of a new patient of his, newly diagnosed with bpd, about how well I'm doing, as proof that there is hope.

That said, it's not always easy. Some days are more of a struggle than others. Would I call myself well? Maybe, maybe not. I don't fit the diagnostic criteria anymore, and people are always telling me that there's no such thing as "normal". But I still struggle a little bit on occasion with coping with my emotions in the old ways. But it's a million times better than it was, and I hope that it will continue to get even better.

Good luck to you, and feel free to contact me if you want to talk more.