it’s not like a virus. you’re not born sick with this. bpd is just a collection of different symptoms that arose from trauma we’ve endured growing up (look up c-ptsd if you don’t know about it). also, trauma doesn’t have to be overt abuse or violence; it can just be emotional neglect by well-meaning parents. and guess what? everyone has trauma that impacts the way they function, even if you don’t see it. you’re not some especially fucked up person born wrong. the child version of you went through a lot of pain and figured out these coping mechanisms to survive. yes, they may be dysfunctional now, but they helped us survive once. our brains are wired a certain way now, but many studies have shown that we can change these pathways; we’re not doomed forever. i know how hopeless everything can feel, but what i’ve found is that simply adjusting our language can change a lot in terms of what we feel we are capable of.