Borderline personality disorder: The voice of patients

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to generate kno wledge about the experience of living with the diagnosis of borderline pers onality disorder. Persons identified as meeting DSM-III-R (American Psychia tric Association, 1987) or DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for borderline personality disorder were invited to participate in a private interview focusing on what it means to live with the diagnosis. The data were analyzed using the procedures of interpretive phenomenologica l data analysis (Benner, 1994; Diekelmann, Alien, & Tanner, 1989). Three th emes were identified: (a) living with a label, (b) living with self-destruc tive behavior perceived as manipulation, and (c) living with limited access to care. The findings suggest that mental health care for persons with bor derline personality disorder could be improved by confronting prejudice, un derstanding self-harm, and safeguarding opportunities for dialogue. (C) 199 9 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.