The following blog posts are written by people with personal experience of personality disorders. By talking openly, our bloggers hope to increase understanding around mental health, break down stereotypes and take the taboo out of something that – like physical health – affects us all.

Too many still don't believe mental illness is real

August 4, 2016

I am a 20 year old female, I have recently come out of hospital (a psychiatric intensive care unit) after my last admission, which was my 3rd, all have been under sections.

I have been diagnosed with Borderline personality disorder emotional and antisocial, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), attachment disorder, anxiety, depression and, to put the cherry on the bun, insomnia.

Dissociative identity disorder is still so poorly understood

July 27, 2016

So, seven years ago I was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID). No, I hadn’t heard of it either. I was 16 at the time – I was in an adolescent psychiatric ward, a secure intensive care ward, 230 miles from home. It was terrifying. Getting a diagnosis was a positive, a weight off my mind, it all made so much sense. I was given some literature to read and it was practically my life story. Then the journey really began.

No one chooses mental illness, so stop judging

July 6, 2016

I’m so tired of being judged by people who know nothing about mental health. Imagine a life where people say “you’re a drama queen”, “over protective”, “crazy”, “not normal”, “unsocial”, “you hate people”, “you make life worst than it is…”. And “get over it, nothing’s wrong”, “everyone has a bad day, stop playing the victim”, “here’s a tiny violin”. “You’re horrible”. “You’re mental”.

Then think, why would you do that? What would make you choose a life where that is how you want people to see you?

Answer? You wouldn’t choose it.

I've lost count of the myths I've heard around personality disorders

June 20, 2016

a photo of the author. The best part of my job as a service user trainer is seeing a professional change their opinion, or at very least want to explore their preconceived ideas surrounding personality disorder. I struggle to accept or sympathise with the blanket generalisations placed on people with the diagnosis without any real thought or exploration.

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