I need people to stop using the borderline diagnosis as an insult. As someone who writes primarily about mental health, it’s easy for people to figure out that I’ve been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) via a quick Google search. Part of me is relieved that it’s in the open – it frees me of the shame bestowed by secrecy and saves me from having to explain myself to people. But the other part of me worries that people who learn about my diagnosis will pigeonhole me based on their own misunderstandings of what BPD entails (Reclaiming Borderline to Reduce Stigma).

In April of 2002, I went on a date that ended with me being sexually assaulted. As the anniversary approaches, my symptoms of borderline personality disorder have increased. I've learned that I have to come to terms with what happened to me. Here are three insights I've had.