Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month: History, Facts & Insights

This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month (2024) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month is celebrated on May 1st.

Among the information you’ll find below: the history of Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as intriguing facts you may want to know about Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month.

📅 What day is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month 2024?

In 2024, Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month is on Monday, May 1st. It is the 1st Monday in May; in 2024, it is Wednesday. There are until the next observance. You also can learn all the fun details and facts about May 1, 2023, that you might not be aware of.

May has been designated as Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month in the United States by the United States House of Representatives. The purpose of this month is to increase understanding and knowledge about borderline personality disorder, as well as to promote the importance of seeking timely care and reducing the stigma surrounding the condition. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that causes difficulties in managing one’s self-image, emotions, and actions. Individuals with this disorder often experience prolonged periods of intense sadness, anxiety, and anger.

📜 Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month History

Adolf Stern, a psychotherapist based in New York, coined the term “borderline” in 1938 to describe a state that he believed was in between psychosis and neurosis. In 1992, psychiatrist George Valliant from Harvard University suggested that the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder often reflected physicians’ frustration with their BPD patients. This disorder continues to be extensively studied, as noted by psychiatrist Len Sperry from Barry University in 2003.

The NEABPD organized hearings before Congress in 2007 to raise awareness about BPD among politicians, leading to the designation of May as Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month by the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2008.

BPD is characterized by dangerous behaviors such as reckless driving and drug use, as well as suicidal thoughts, mood swings, feelings of emptiness, uncontrollable anger, fear of abandonment, and paranoia related to stress.

There are three main factors that can contribute to the development of BPD: heredity, neurobiological changes in the brain areas responsible for impulses and emotions, and environmental influences such as a history of trauma and abuse.

Effective treatments for BPD include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mentalization-based therapy (MBT). However, the involvement and support of family members and friends are also crucial due to the underlying feelings of loneliness and abandonment associated with the condition.

✅ Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month Facts

🔖 High suicide rates
People diagnosed with BPD have a significantly higher risk of committing suicide, with rates that are 400 times greater compared to those in the overall population.

🔖 Third leading cause of death
Bipolar disorder ranks as the third leading cause of death among women between the ages of 15 and 24.

🔖 14 million
There are nearly 14 million individuals in America who are impacted by BPD.

👍 Why Is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month Important

Borderline personality disorder awareness month aims to raise awareness of BPD and dispel any stigma or misconceptions about it.

BPD patients experience a great deal of stress as a result of acute emotions of abandonment and loneliness. Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month is here to celebrate their accomplishments and assist them in sharing their emotions with others. This helps them feel loved and supported.

Mental health is a hot subject in today’s culture. It is critical to emphasize the importance of having a healthy mind in order to become a better person.

🙂 How To Observe Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

⚡ Watch movies to find out more
Several Hollywood movies, including “Uncut Gems” (2019), “Girl, Interrupted” (1999), “Silver Linings Playbook” (2014), “Welcome to Me” (2014), “Prozac Nation” (2001), and “One Hour Photo” (2002), can provide valuable insights into Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

⚡ Celebrate their strengths
Promote a supportive environment for individuals with BPD to openly share their experiences instead of keeping them hidden. Emphasize the importance of acknowledging and appreciating their unique strengths, in order to empower them and foster a sense of freedom.

⚡ Encourage people
Motivate people in your community to offer support to those dealing with BPD. Highlight their positive attributes and help them turn their challenges into a source of resilience.

📅 When is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month?

You can view all 🔗 May holidays, including 🔗 Health and other 🔗 Awareness holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. So be sure to check back soon.