personality disorders explained

and research about borderline disorder, teach DBT and family coping skills, and
provide an opportunity to develop a support network.
Research documents a reduction in family member depression, burden, and grief
and an increase in coping skills. No registration fee is required, but in some
locations a donation to cover costs of the course materials is suggested.
Family-to-Family
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has recently designated borderline
disorder as a “priority population.” In doing so, NAMI has now extended its
popular 12 week Family Education Program to include this disorder. The course is
taught by trained NAMI volunteers in every state in the country. It provides a
broad range of information essential to those caring for loved ones with
borderline and other serious mental disorders.
Family Training Workshop
TARA sponsors an eight session DBT family training workshop in New York City
and other cities across the country. The main goals of the program are similar to
that provided by NEA-BPD. Each training cycle is limited to sixteen members, and
a registration fee is required.
Support Groups
In some communities, groups of people with borderline disorder and family
members meet on a regular basis, without a therapist or trained and skilled
group leader, to help one another. Such support groups typically do not charge
members a fee and can be very beneficial for the reasons cited above for
therapist-assisted group therapy.
There are two types of support groups:
groups for the person with borderline disorder
groups for their family members
Although it may be helpful, participation in such groups should be approached
with caution by the person with borderline disorder or family members.
Considerable harm can be done if one or more individuals in the group act in an
angry, manipulative, malicious, or otherwise inappropriate and destructive way
toward another group member or the group as a whole. Without a skilled leader
or facilitator present to step in to handle the situation promptly and properly, a
member of the group, and even the group itself, may be exposed to significant
trauma.
Prior to joining a support group, it is wise to seek recommendations about groups
in your community from your nearest NAMI Chapter, or from mental health
professionals working with patients with borderline disorder. In addition, it may
be helpful to request information from members of such groups before joining.