Several years ago I came across an article from the UK titled Exploring Registered Psychiatric Nurses' Responses towards Service Users with a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder.

Sadly, you probably won't be too surprised to know that individuals diagnosed with BPD are often treated very differently from patients with other diagnoses in a hospital setting.

The study not only revealed that patients were often thought to be "manipulative," "destructive," and "difficult" but that nursing staff also displayed lower levels of empathy towards them.

As soon as I read the article, I thought about John Gottman's wisdom about how there really is a "deep personal longing" behind each and every complaint, argument, and tantrum.

When people with BPD feel genuinely validated, understood, and cared for, challenging behaviors become manageable and trust and openness begin to build.

Isn't your relationship worth it?

You can read the entire article by clicking here.

If you are a family member who needs practical tools to help the person you love the most, check out my course here.