The entire discussion concerning the matter of ‘Mental Health’ has always been invariably subjected to as a tainted topic to be refrained from having a discussion about.

The stigma that is brought upon mental health illnesses can be attributed to years of conditioning of addressing the same as a personality defect.

Due to this blemish on the issue, individuals face multiple roadblocks while expressing their pain, shying away from identifying the major symptoms which results in not seeking help. 

But with the boom in modernization, leading to rapid sharing of information and personal experiences of individuals on social networks has led to unveiling the existence of viewing mental health illnesses being equivalent to physical illnesses and that it definitely requires a professional source of guidance.

This has also triggered discussions amongst people, mostly youngsters from urban cities, to seriously intervene and speak on these issues openly, considering the fact that we go through it on a daily basis.

Yet, in the backward sections of society, these issues are considered to be ‘just a phase’ in an individual’s life and that they can just ‘snap out of it’ rather than deal with the pain.It is estimated that 1 in 4 people are likely to be experiencing mental health problems.The diagnosis of many of these major illnesses are yet to have their root cause to be discovered.One of them that we are to discuss here, is the Borderline-Personality-Disorder (BPD). According to the Oxford Dictionary, it is defined as ‘a personality disorder characterized by severe mood swings, impulsive behaviour, and difficulty forming stable personal relationships.’

Again, the scarcity of the awareness of this can also be catered to the communal stigma associated with it. People with BPD are known to experience extreme and acute emotions on a regular basis which we might experience once in a while and the coping mechanisms they resort to would be self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, use of narcotics and bad drinking habits.

Till today, professionals struggle a lot with the diagnosis of BPD since there is a lot of ambiguity concerning the origins of its development. Research indicates two causes of the same being genetically induced or an exposure to scarring incidents early on in the individual’s life.

Since case studies do not have much of a parallel when it comes to their respective experiences, people having gone through different circumstances have been observed to have developed BPD. Therefore, psychiatrists resort to examining the major symptoms the patients undergo during the diagnosis.

BPD affected individuals experience acute emotional and psychological instability which could be identified by the following symptoms: concerns with their respective self-image which in turn affects their relationships with the near confidantes, constant fear of abandonment from loved ones, extreme fluctuating emotions, the expression of which is either violent explosion or they are corked up, constantly overthinking and over-analysing which leads them to be detached from reality, struggling to accept themselves, impulsive response during stressful circumstances, trust issues and so on.

They have the tendency to exhibit a polarising behaviour every now and then, which in turn puts their relationship with their closed ones in jeopardy. This impact on intimate relationships can lead to seclusion from everyone close to the individual.

Isolating oneself will not help in the long term, but it will lead to a major catastrophe in the future, as a consequence of bottled up emotions. That is why identifying and early diagnosis is a major game changer.

Keeping in mind these symptoms, we can gauge it to be quite an ordeal to keep up with their emotions and how they are spurred. To assist and aid the patients diagnosed with BPD, health professionals came up with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which has proved to alleviate them of the bouts of agony and anguish in the journey of recovery. The therapy sessions are categorised keeping in mind the sensitive trait of the patients and their nature of response to unfavourable circumstances.

At the first stage, the patient is made conscious of their current condition.They are made to be equipped to accept and manage their emotions and the expression of the same. From here on, they are taught to take up healthy alternatives to prevent the impulsive actions they resort to during unfavourable situations. And lastly, they learn how to better their communication with their intimate ones which results in better relationships and a healthy environment to grow in.

Remember, people suffering from BPD demonstrate in the most graphic ways. This does not make them strange or ones that are required to be strayed away from. They just need guidance from an external source to lead them to the right path. Acknowledging having a mental illness and seeking help is not a sign of fragility on our part; but showing fortitude in the face of hostility.