
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition that affects the way a person experiences emotions, relationships, and self-image. People living with BPD often describe feeling emotions more intensely and for longer periods than others, which can make daily life feel unpredictable or painful.
BPD is recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and is characterized by symptoms such as emotional instability, impulsive behavior, chronic feelings of emptiness, fear of abandonment, and intense relationships. According to CAMH, BPD affects about 1 to 2 percent of the population but is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.
While BPD can feel overwhelming, it is treatable. Therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Somatic Therapy can help people regulate emotions, build healthy relationships, and reconnect with a stable sense of self.
At Get To Know Yourself Counselling, we approach BPD through a trauma-informed lens, helping clients recognize that their emotional patterns developed as adaptive responses to past pain. Healing begins with awareness, compassion, and the belief that lasting change is possible.
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