edit: I decided to make this post because most of the discussion around BPD and our loved ones is extremely negative and I wanted to say something positive.

I used to be such a mess. I self-harmed impulsively. I struggled to get anything done. I couldn't control my temper and would suddenly scream at people. I'm surprised I've never been arrested. I once stole a laptop out of anger. I still don't know why I did it. In my defense, the person I stole it from was genuinely evil but it was still wrong and pointless.

These days my life is pretty great. I've been in a live-in, long-term relationship for several years. My partner is sweet, gentle, gorgeous, and fun to be around. Because I worked so hard on my communication skills, I'm able to resolve conflicts with him in a productive and healthy manner that benefits both of us. We still have our disagreements, but he's happy to be with me and I'm happy to be with him. He loves me so much that he decided to help me financially so that I could go back to college and not have to work during it. He's really helped me by teaching me studying techniques and helping me understand my homework.

I've been doing well since I've gone back to college. My stormy emotions used to get in the way of schoolwork, but now I'm able to manage them well enough to get excellent grades. I'm in community college and I intend to transfer to get a four-year degree.

My emotions are still quite strong but I'm able to manage them without turning to self-destructive behavior. It's been years since I've done something self-destructive.

I'm a lot less afraid of abandonment than I used to be, which has made it easier to make and retain friends. I'm happy with my circle of friends. Some of them know I used to have BPD (I no longer meet the criteria for the diagnosis) and some of them don't. Some of them, including my partner, knew me back when I was more destructive and nevertheless chose to stick by me because they saw that I'm a good person with a lot of potential.

I never would have expected when I was younger that life could be so much fun. Obviously, it's not perfect, because no one ever has a perfect life, but I feel grateful that my suicide attempts failed.