Trauma, Identity, and BPD: A Historical Perspective

Did you know that Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) wasn't "discovered" but actually created? A group of male psychiatrists voted to define it as a diagnosis, and women, in particular, are disproportionately labeled with it, and it’s often weaponized against them. What if we told you that BPD isn't a disorder at all, but rather a logical and rational response to repressed emotions and shame caused by trauma, whether systemic or sexual? This is exactly what we’re unpacking in today’s episode.

Join Elisabeth and Jennifer as they welcome Mollie Adler, podcaster, writer, and existential thinker, to dive deep into the issues surrounding the BPD diagnosis. Together, they discuss the stigma around BPD, the trauma as a potential cause, and how repressed emotions and shame fuel the symptoms. Also, Mollie shares her own experience of seeking a diagnosis, and why she didn’t receive one. What we explore in this episode is eye-opening: BPD is not a disorder, but a survival mechanism from unresolved trauma, one that can be healed by working to create safety in the nervous system and getting to the root cause.

If this resonates with you, don’t miss out—tune in to learn more and discover how healing is possible.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Mollie Adler’s personal journey with BPD

• The problems with the current diagnostic framework

• The stigma surrounding personality disorders

• How BPD characteristics contribute to long-term emotional and interpersonal instability

• The systemic trauma linked to BPD

• Understanding the inputs that create the output, and how to create change with BPD

• The impact of sexual trauma and fawning in women with BPD

• The history and legacy of hysteria

• The power of releasing repressed emotions and toxic shame to heal

• The privilege of reclaiming your BPD diagnosis

• What it means to disidentify from your diagnosis

Connect with Mollie Adler by heading to her Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheborderline/?hl=en

Find Molly's podcast Back from the Borderline on all platforms that host podcasts. 

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This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

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