Borderline personality disorder (BPD) affects more than ten million Americans, yet the disorder is shrouded in mystery. Only recently have treatments like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) been developed for this "incurable" condition that causes chaotic and unstable moods, self-injury and/or suicide attempts, and reckless, impulsive behavior. In the fascinating memoir, The Buddha and the Borderline, Kiera Van Gelder offers new insight into the experience of BPD. As the illness progresses, Kiera sinks deeper into the instability, loneliness, volatile relationships, and hopelessness common among BPD sufferers. She spends years relying on drugs and alcohol to ease the pain no one, least of all her parents, seemed to understand. Finally, she receives a correct diagnosis at age 31, and begins the arduous struggle to gain control over her emotions and reclaim her life using DBT, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and Buddhism. --- from the publisher |