How the experience of being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder affects relations with others and one’s self-perception - an existential phenomenological study

Having worked as a psychologist in both the UK and Lima, Peru, working with
patients who present a variety of conditions ranging from a depression to severe cases
of schizophrenia, I became concerned by the way in which patients reacted to their
diagnoses and in particular by the negative response of patients diagnosed with
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). I also perceived that the lack of a clear and
accepted diagnosis caused significant confusion regarding the condition for patients,
carers and professionals. This led me to question the value of the diagnoses in the
process of understanding and helping people with emotional distress or psychological
problems. This study is a response to my experience and the experience participants
expressed through me.