It is estimated that around 2% of the adult population in the UK are living with borderline personality disorder. Many more may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. 2% doesn’t sound like a lot, but that equals over a million people living with this complex and misunderstood disorder.

Borderline personality disorder can appear as different conditions, most commonly Bipolar, and can be misdiagnosed as such. The wide range of symptoms associated with BPD can post challenges in accurately diagnosing the disorder.

There are various reasons why a significant number of individuals experiencing symptoms may choose not to pursue a diagnosis or seek treatment:

• fear of being ‘labelled’ or stigmatized
• denial of their symptoms
• cultural or religious reasons
• fear of speaking out and seeking help
• survival instinct – I am capable of managing this on my own