what jobs are good for people with borderline personality disorder?

It is hard to answer your questions the way it is framed, because I do not believe BPD exists as a discrete, valid diagnosis. I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, actually, when I was 18 years old. I had most of the symptoms of the so-called disorder at that time. But, I have now long ago ceased to have enough of the symptoms to be diagnosable with it, if it even exists. I did therapy and got help from some kind friends and family which really helped.

Basically, my answer is that the best thing is to recover from the "disorder" so that you can do whatever job you want to do. This is possible. I was unable to function several years ago - had to drop out of college- and was so depressed that I could not return for about a year, and believed I would never be able to do any kind of demanding job. But, today I work a challenging but rewarding 45-hour-a-week job in a professional field that pays well.

Below I copied an answer I gave to another question about BPD. I don't believe labels like BPD are helpful - they only make people think more negatively about themselves, and don't promote recovery or the strengths which everyone has in them, at least potentially.

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Yes, I had it and I have recovered from it.

When I was 18, I was diagnosed with BPD by a psychiatrist. I had severe mood swings, overwhelming anxiety, was scared when my mother or father would leave me alone for even a day or two, hated some people and idealized others, would feel periodically completely hopeless, had suicidal ideation, etc. etc. etc. Almost all the classic borderlines symptoms, I had. I had been severely physically abused by my father for many years, had a mother who provided me with little protection from this, and our family was characterized by silence and non-communication among everyone. This abuse and neglect clearly were the main causes of my illness, since I grew up to feel worthless, scared, and afraid of how I was going to be independent in life and survie at all.

Today, I am 27 and I have a full-time job which I really enjoy, I have some good friends, have been able to date women, am not depressed or anxious most of the time, and feel much better and more confident about things.

What helped me was individual psychotherapy and group therapy, both of which I did, and doing my own research on BPD and finding out that a lot of the information out there about it is simply wrong. I.e., The ideas that BPD is a life-long condition, that is very unlikely to be recovered from, or that it's genetic/biological and can't be cured, only medicated, are all massive distortions.

Here are several sources which can provide you with some optimism:

A.J. Mahari's website - borderlinepersonality.ca - this is by a fully recovered borderline who no longer has the disorder and writes about how she got better. Her tips are right on the money, from my experience of how I got better.

Tami Green's website - borderlinepersonalitysupport.com - another recovered borderline who writes about how to get help and recover. She actually testified before U.S. Congress how she had recovered and how BPD is very treatable.

Some books I have read - I have read dozens of books about borderlines who have recovered. There are many treatment accounts by psychodynamic therapists writing in the last few decades. Many of their patients recovered completely or improved greatly, if they had a good therapist and were able/willing to stay in treatment. Here are a few of those books:

1 - The Bad Object - Jeffrey Seinfeld

2 - The Difficult Borderline Patient, Not So Difficult to Treat - Helen Albanese

3 - The Search for the Real Self - James Masterson

4 - 6 Steps in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Organization - Vamik Volkan

5 - Borderline Patients, the Psychosomatic Focus, and the Therapeutic Process - Peter Giovacchini

You could get several of these off Amazon for a relatively low cost. Some of them are technical and a little hard to read, but they are very positive about how borderlines can do. I especially recommend the first two.

Most importantly, I have my own lived experience - the knowledge that one can go through extremely difficult experiences, even into despair, and come out of it through persistence, belief, and support from other people to eventually recover and fell well.

Don't lose hope. You are still young and there is a lot you can do to change things. If you want someone to talk to about your problems, feel free to email me. Tarantiodace2012@yahoo.com

Since BPD is a personality disorder, it cannot be treated with medication because it won't work. It's likely that there may be depression, or anxiety that can be treated though. There is also something called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that is geared for BPD. It helps you use rationale's and your wise mind for making decisions and handling the things that come into your life. I think that seeing a psychiatrist and a psychologist, which is a counselor, would both be extremely beneficial. Also the Dialectical Behavior Therapy which is a group therapy. I have BPD and the DBT is very helpful and also being able to have the one on one with a counselor. And the medication that can help some of the other possible problems associated with BPD that only a psychiatrist can prescibe. However I would say that the DBT and the individual counseling would be the most beneficial

I suffer from BPD too and I have been doing psychoanalytic therapy for a while now and that is really interesting.

It depends on how your upbringing was. My father was very controlling and authoritarian so I prefer jobs that are more flat- where people are equals and where I have a lot of control over my space. I am also quite obsessive compulsive so I prefer to work alone. It really depends on your personality. Also it's a lot of trial and error

Tami Green Bpd

Maybe Photography? Or a business where you can go into business by yourself. I like photography because it doesn't isolate you or make you not see people, but you can be your own boss and you won't feel tied down to one job. I know some people with bpd have trouble staying in one place of employment and this would give you the opportunity to work for yourself and not feel tied to one location because you're cemented by a job in a cubicle.

I personally want to be a librarian and open up a photography business on the side (: good luck

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This is a great question (or series of questions); and I think it's great that you are getting involved in improving your partners well being. I've been diagnosed Bipolar/BPD and am under intensive psychotherapy and med management therapy as well. BPD is a very complex and serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in mood, interpersonal relationships, self-image, identity, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self. I think you're on to something and reaching out at these boards is great. However, we are all pop psychiatrists and none of us can diagnose your partner, so it's imperative that you pony up and have him see the doc ASAP and get a diagnosis so you can begin proper treatment. I understand the issue of funds, which was a similar issue I faced at the outset of my treatment. It's often difficult for some poeple to rationalize the importance of mental health vs. physical health. For example, if you found out your partner needed a certain surgical procedure, per the Dr's recommendation, where if delayed, came with fatal results, would you factor in the financial roadblocks? As far as medication vs. non-medication approach. Med Management should be at the forefront of the treatment for BPD where psychotherapy will exist as an adjunct treatment. What's important to understand is that BPD is often co-morbid, where it will exist with another disorder; e.g. bipolar, ADD, unipolar depression, etc. Understanding the patient is struggling in dealing with unstable moods, thoughts and emotions, your Dr. will be able to prescribe meds to bring your partner to a more stable mindset so they can go to the next phase of treatment an begin psychotherapy. Specifically, mood stabilizers are extremely effective and will do wonders for your partner, relatively quickly. Through my experience, I tend to feel like I'm fighting in a war, battling in the trenches, where depression is my enemy, medication is my armour and weaponry and my psychologists are my commanding officers, providing strategy and tactics in guiding me through the field of battle. All of those tools combined will help defeat the enemy and guide you to safety. I've tried meds without therapy and vice versa; I couldn't do it. It's very difficult at first to put yourself through Psychotherapy, but over time, you'll find that it will build strength and a better sense of self if you put in the effort. As for the meds, I saw a psychiatrist regularly at first after going through a combination of different meds/doses. Over time, I've found the right med/dose and acheived stabliization in my moods,thoughts and actions, which has done wonders in my life both personally and professionally. As for the psycotherapy; I attend regular CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) weekly and group therapy twice a week and attend other support groups as needed. The combination of which have helped initiate motivation and change in combating my illness. When someone lives with such an illness for a long period of time, they develop learned behaviors which are incredibly difficult to change. The psychotherapy will give you the motivation to make yourself better and the ability to change certain problematic behaviors; which is a monumental task in itself, but it is certainly acheivable. Good luck and I hope this helps