Taking Responsibility

Experience has shown that one factor is especially important in determining the degree of progress you will make in treatment: your level of commitment to the process. You need to find the best clinicians to help you continually understand more about the characteristics and nature of your disorder, the specific ways it affects your life, and what you can do to minimize its effects.

You must learn to exert the self-discipline required to do what needs to be done. For example, it is important to take your medications as prescribed. Attend all psychotherapy sessions. Abstain from alcohol, at least early in treatment, and until your primary clinician indicates otherwise. Abstain completely from abusing drugs of any type. It is important that you allow and encourage your family to learn how to best help you.

You have the responsibility to build the foundation for your own recovery. Patience and persistence are essential to success.

These behaviors are usually not strong points of people with borderline disorder. However, they can be developed with the proper help, and learned more quickly as small and large successes are achieved, and failures become less common. Others with borderline disorder have done so. So can you. Do not lose hope.