How Do I Choose the Best Borderline Personality Disorder Support Group?

The best borderline personality disorder support group will be a group that not only helps people understand their feelings, gives background information about the disorder and how it affects relationships, but also provides plenty of contact with peers who also have the disorder so that the individual feels as if he or she is not the only one having these problems. Ideally, a good support group will also provide contact information to its group members for urgent help with everyday situations as the problems arise. To find the best group in a particular area, ask around at psychology clinics or on BPD forums, get recommendations from other BPD sufferers who have had good experiences with support groups, and do not be afraid to try out different groups to find one that seems most suitable.

For many people suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) disorder, joining a borderline personality disorder support group can provide help with understanding some of the reasons that certain feelings happen in people with BPD. A group can also help explain why certain behaviors are more likely to occur in borderline individuals and how the disorder affects the friends, family, and other relationships in the person's life. This in turn can help both those suffering from the disorder and the friends and family members develop more effective coping strategies and ways to reduce some of the problematic situations the disorder causes.

It should be relatively easy to narrow down which group to choose based on what services it provides its members. It is extremely important that a borderline personality disorder support group provides plenty of information to its members about how the disorder typically presents in people and how these manifestations can affect the personal and professional lives and relationships of the affected individuals. This information should include up-to-date strategies for treatment of the disorder, as well as small, everyday coping strategies to help avoid some of the common problems. Specifically, dangerous behaviors such as drug abuse, promiscuity, and other kinds of self-harm need to be addressed immediately. Dealing with some of the interpersonal issues, such as possible emotional dependence and emotionally abusive tendencies, can also help the individual feel more comfortable in relationships and less deserving of some of the harmful behaviors that BPD is famous for.

A borderline personality disorder support group usually is not a sufficient replacement for therapy, and possibly medication, from a psychiatrist, but it can be a relatively inexpensive supplement to therapy and medication. Joining a support group shows BPD sufferers how the disorder affects other people as well, which can sometimes help alleviate the worry that the problem is somehow their fault and that they may not be worthy of help. Through contact with individuals who might be even more affected by BPD, it also allows some people a glimpse at the consequences of not addressing the disorder, which may help those reluctant to go to therapy or take prescribed medication to follow through with these treatments. Try to choose a group that allows a good deal of socializing among members so that these therapeutic effects can be taken advantage of.