Customer Reviews

Life at the Border - Understanding and Recovering from the Borderline Personality Disorder

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dr. Heller has written a book that gives a better description of Border Line Personality Disorder than I have read anywhere. I don't agree with his choice of medications, and this made the book hard for me to read initially.

I have always felt that I was a prisoner of this terrible 'disease'. I've read books on BPD and I didn't think I could change the way I feel. these books were just to help me understand my disorder and help my loved ones 'deal' with me.

This book puts BPD in terms of a -physical- as well as a mental disorder. I think this description is something everyone who reads the book can empathize with.

This information made me feel so much more comfortable with myself. I feel I have more control now that I know what is wrong. The people in my life are more willing to help me overcome this disorder now that they can see for themselves a clearly defined physical problem, where it is, and what it's causes are.

They still may not understand what I feel or experience, but they know there is a real problem and they are willing to support me. I know I can overcome this problem using the many excellent suggestions and exercises listed in this book.

I am not 'powerless' anymore.

I liked this book, Dr. Heller seems to have a lot of experience in the treatment of BPD. The book is easy to read and follow, and I found it pretty interesting. HOWEVER, the book is really nt up-to-date with the recent medical and psychological research. It is claimed that the book has been updated in 1999. I dno't believe it. Nothing to say about DBT, newer SSRIs and atypical antipsychotics.

If you just want to understand the disorder, get this book. If you are looking for treatment, this book is way out of date,

This book, which is used as a reference book by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health),gives hope to people who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder; a disorder which has been thought to be untreatable by most of the medical community. Dr. Heller not only gives a very clear picture of the borderline personality disorder but also recommends a treatment plan which has had a very high success rate. The books sheds new light on a much misunderstood disease and can be a life saver for anyone suffering with this disorder.

As a sufferer of BPD, my attention span is not great. But
I literally couldn't put this book down...it just fed my
soul. Finally someone who "gets" it. Although medication
is outdated (newer drugs have less side effects and more
benefits), advice and support is up to date. It has given
me the knowledge that recovery is possible...something I
didn't believe before.

Offering help to borderline personalities and their loved ones long before other popular self help writers, Dr. Heller's book suffers from miserable printing and formatting. It's a shame, because Life at the Border is jam packed with straightforward and valuable overview information. Family Physician and "positive thinker" Dr. Heller places an interesting, optimistic emphasis on the biological causes and cures of BPD (especially limbic brain disorders) (while not neglecting the full spectrum of causes and treatments, including supportive alternative treatments). He mentions in passing that he will be writing a book on coping with borderline personalities and for those who need to deal with the trauma of having lived with a borderline; his unique contribution in that area is long overdue. He writes in conclusion to the borderline personality: "Find a therapist and get the help you need. Then read as many positive, mentally healthy books as you can and as often as you can -- it will make a difference. Listen to motivational tapes every day, and retrain your brain with positive, healthy affirmations. Make peace with God and your spirituality. If possible, make peace with your loved ones. Most of all, make peace with the most important person in the world -- the one in the mirror. He/she needs and deserves to be forgiven." Dated and badly in need of a completely revised version, but still very valuable.

When I was first diagnosed with Dyslimbia, (the appropriate and correct term for BPD) I took on the perception that it meant I could never be treated effectively. I would never be emotionally well, and that my condition was one that no one looked forward to treating a patient for. Dr. Heller's book was quick to dispel that myth in my mind.

He dissected the condition and explained it piece by piece so that anyone in the world could understand it without the defeatist's attitude that often seems to be prevalent in the communtiy of psychiatry in general (where Dyslimbia is concerned). He explains what it is, the origins of it, the modus operandi, the symptoms, the effect of those symptoms upon our lives, the possibility of being cured, and tools with which to progress towards and reach the place of being cured.

I felt very relieved and excited to learn of someone who had actually been cured of this condition. He give's the readers (who suffer from Dyslimbia (BPD)) a sense of pride as he explains that people who suffer from Dyslimbia are not Dyslimbics or BPDers. They are people who suffer from a medical condition called Dyslimbia which menifests itself via emotional/ mental symptoms that negatively effect their lives.

His book shows us that we shouldn't see ourselves as a terrible ailment or condition. We are People With a medical condition. We don't refer to people with cancer by saying, "Hey there End Stage Carcinoma, how's it going?" Nor should we say, "Hi, my name is Indigo and I'm a BPDer. What's your name?.....My name is Polyp. Nice to meet you BPDer."

His contrast of the self and the condition, adds perspective to the task at hand, which is to maintain a positive outlook concerning recovery, to take responsibility for our recovery, to focus on and use the tools given to progress to recovery, and to have a clear understanding of the nature and occurrance of our own behavior as it relates to Dyslimbia.

Indigo ...
Future, Brilliant, Female Surgeon 2B

This book and Dr. Heller helped save my marriage.
I was lucky enough to live reasonably close to Dr. Heller's office to have him treat my wife. I highly recommend this book!!!!