MHM Magazine

Issue 1 | 2023 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 21 MHM SADAG has over 160 Support Groups around the country dealing with a variety of Mental Health related issues, as well as Support Groups specifically for family members and loved ones. SADAG guides and trains new Support Group Leaders on running a group step-by-step. We help with training webinars, materials, handouts, information and more. Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can sometimes feel like a very isolating and lonely journey without the right network of support. Often people with BPD may be perceived as “difficult to treat and handle”, but it’s vital to provide spaces where they can be heard, feel seen and experience support. This month’s featured Group is the Borderline Personality Support Group for Young Adults Aged 18 - 35 hosted by Kia Cordeiro. Kia’s Support Group is a safe space where people living with BPD can share their challenges and be supported by like-minded individuals who have had similar experiences. By providing coping mechanisms and activities aimed at channelling energy in healthy ways, the Group creates a space for members to not only walk their journeys together, but to do so more sustainably. The Group aims to empower each member to build self-efficacy and resilience through the experience of a non-judgemental and supportive space that embraces people living with BPD from all walks of life. Some words from Kia: Why did you start this particular Support Group? On a personal level I started this Group because my sister was diagnosed with Borderline in 2021 and I witnessed how difficult her mental health journey became with very little support and lack of understanding from loved ones. As a social worker, I have also seen how certain people, even some health care professionals, view BPD as something that makes people “difficult to help” or “difficult to treat”. This makes it so much harder for people living with BPD to tell others about their diagnosis and often prevents them from reaching out to seek help or receive treatment. I started this Group to break the stigma around BPD. Starting this Group from a place of deep empathy towards people with BPD has equipped me to facilitate and support this unique group of individuals. What are the benefits of joining this Support Group? By joining this Group, members enter a space where we adopt the mentality “come as you are” without judgement. Meaning whether Members are having a good day or bad day, the Group is there in its capacity to support, encourage and uplift each other. The benefits of joining this Group are that people living with BPD meet others walking a similar path to them on their Mental Health journey which fosters unity and inclusion and can help one feel heard, understood and motivated to comply with their treatment plans. It’s a place of encouragement, which affords members the opportunity to practice better behaviours, develop communication techniques and the problem-solving skills required for a healthier future. Who can join this Group?  Anyone between the ages of 18- 35 who has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder by a Mental Health professional such as a psychiatrist, who is on medication, and has their own individual therapist outside of the group. What do you hope to achieve with this Group?  I hope to help my Group members and others living with BPD understand that a space does exist where they will not be judged and be accepted for who they are. I wish everyone could understand that being diagnosed with BPD doesn’t mean your world now crumbles, and doesn’t define you; having a diagnosis means you can walk the path that was set for you, and that with the right support, healing is possible. I hope by giving members a platform to share their stories, it helps to end the stigma around Borderline, and that more people seek to understand the disorder. I also hope to equip everyone who joins my group with the skills and knowledge to develop resilience. My hope is to also bring education and awareness to those with loved ones who have been diagnosed with BPD . MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP FOR LOVED ONES AND CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Borderline Personality Disorder Support Group for Young Adults Aged 18-35