How Much Longer?

I was listening today as one of the news shows was continuing to talk about the courage that actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has exhibitd by publicly acknowledging that she has Bipolar Disorder.  (Approximately 5.7 million adults in America have that same diagnosis.)  Here’s a list of some other famous individuals who have shared that diagnosis.

And, it got me to thinking . . . . How long is it going to be before we have someone famous come out as being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder?  How much longer before we have an actual list of individuals who can courageously say “that’s the diagnosis I have” without stigma and shame?

I know . . . that’s not really the direct focus of this blog.  Still . . . it got me to thinking and wondering . . . in this lifetime . . . in my lifetime . . . how we as mental health professionals can make that happen . . . .

OK, so that’s me on my advocacy tangent and here’s what you landed on this page for . . . .

Do These Describe You?

• Highly qualified to treat clients with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder?

• Up to date with current research related to Borderline Personality Disorder?

• Aware that the Borderline Personality Disorder is a biological, medical disorder that will need therapy as a follow-up after the client is treated medically?

If you answered “yes” to all three questions, then you may want to check out the website, BPD Sanctuary where you can be listed as a service provider for individuals who have been diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder.

[Update Jun 09, 2011 -  OK, gang, so this is a first for me . . . . Julie in Virginia was kind enough to leave a comment below letting me know about the problem with the link above.  Indeed, it appears the link has be re-routed to a different website and I am unable to locate the opportunity that I just referenced above.

Given this glitch, I'm wondering if this might be a good opportunity to ask you guys . . . . Do you know of any online directories or lists that are specifically for service providers who work with individuals who have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder?  If so, I hope you'll share the information by leaving a comment below.

Again, so sorry for the bad link!]