Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder (Paperback)

by Rachel Reiland (Author) "The house was a disaster..." (more)
Key Phrases: psych floor, Father Rick, West Side, Stop Walking (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Touted as the only book of its kind, this is a firsthand account of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). An accountant and mother of three, Reiland (a pseudonym) tells the poignant story of her life, which included all-too-familiar episodes of anorexia, promiscuity, impulsiveness, suicide attempts, institutionalization in a mental hospital, and often unrelenting, anger-intensive, violent, and unpredictable behavior. This is not intended as a text for treatment but a story of how one person lived with and overcame an affliction that many professionals view as untreatable. What results is a gripping, fast-paced narrative that's often hard to put down and will no doubt inspire sufferers and caretakers to march on. It is a story based on stark reality and hope, much like Steve Hamilton's I Want My Life Back. Recommended for all public and academic libraries as a complement to treatment guides like Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus's I Hate You, Don't Leave Me. Melody Ballard, Washoe Cty. Lib. Syst., Reno Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. (Library Journal )

Product Description

Borderline Personality Disorder. "What the hell was that?" raged Rachel Reiland when she read the diagnosis written in her medical chart. As the 29-year old accountant, wife, and mother of young children would soon discover, it was the diagnosis that finally explained her explosive anger, manipulative behaviors, and self-destructive episodes- including bouts of anorexia, substance abuse, and sexual promiscuity. With astonishing honesty, Reiland's memoir reveals what mental illness feels like and looks like from the inside, and how healing from such a devastating disease is possible through intensive therapy and the support of loved ones.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Hazelden; 1 edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592850995
• ISBN-13: 978-1592850990
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,135 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Healing From the Inside Out, April 21, 2004

By	"theseabetweenus" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Not Supposed to Be Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder (Paperback)

Rachel Reiland's deep, unflinching account of her psychotherapeutic journey from borderline personality disorder and anorexia to the wholeness that lay ahead is an absolute must-read for those with BPD and their loved ones.

While Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and other Cognitive Behavioral Therapy programs (generally touted as the most effective means of treating BPD) approach BPD symptomatically, Reiland's first person observations of healing BPD from the inside out give amazing insight into the fundamental developmental rift that creates "borderline behavior" -- an unmistakable inner rift that those with BPD will resonate strongly with as they read Rachel's book.

As well written as it is honest, this book stands alone in the body of BPD literature in its earnest and encouraging presentation of recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder and the recovery process.

While most may not be able to afford the therapy that Rachel was privileged enough to undergo (three sessions per week with her psychiatrist for the first two years or so), the insights gained into the illness and the healing process will undoubtedly benefit those with BPD who are ready to recover.

**If you are under the care of a therapist, I would recommend asking or apprising your therapist before you begin reading, as some of the content may trigger emotional reactions.**

If you have a loved one suffering from BPD, this book will give you a glimpse of how deep BPD truly is, and how much hope there is if your loved one truly wants to be healed.

Visit www.bpdresourcecenter.org or www.bpdcentral.com for more information on Borderline Personality Disorder. Also recommended (and available here) are Linehan's Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder and Mason & Kreger's Stop Walking On Eggshells. For those with BPD and addiction issues, read The Angry Heart: Overcoming Borderline and Addictive Disorders by Santoro and Cohen. For Christians, Behind the Masks: Personality Disorders in the Church by Pate & Pate.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My review of Rachel Reilands Book, June 13, 2005

By	Traci (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

I have read all the reviews on this book, and was dismayed to read comments like: I cannot stand to see her lash out at all the people that have hurt her, or, self serving??? Do you people know what its like to have something you never asked for? She was abused!! The fact that she lashed out at others doesn't make it right, its a reality. And if someone had helped when she was growing up, she would not have any problems. This book is painfully real, obviously detailed accounts. It takes a courageous woman to face her demons. I have been abused horribly, in my childhood and adult years, and nothing upsets me more that to hear someone say "She's got PROBLEMS!" duh you think??? Rachel goes a long way to show how bad it can get before it gets better and I applaud her for sure. Mental illness is a ILLNESS and I think people forget that. This book is a 10 star in my review. Don't get me wrong, its no excuse to treat others badly for sure. But keep in mind, she DID get help.
Hats off to you Rachel! And keep up the good work.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Book, December 19, 2002

By	Bridget (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Not Supposed to Be Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder (Paperback)

Reading this book is like stepping into the family of a person with Borderline Personality Disorder. It is not always a pleasant place to visit, it can be very painful. I would assume that most people who would choose this book do so because of some personal connection to BPD. To watch Rachel and her family struggle through her illness and recovery can touch 'almost' too close to home. But, you find yourself hoping for them all.

Rachel is a storyteller, and this book is written in a beautiful and very readable style. The clinical information that is presented as part of the story is palatable because it is so well ingrained into the actual storyl.

Someday soon I am going to take the time to write a long letter to Rachel Reiland, and to Randi Kreger ("Stop Walking on Eggshells."} These two women have put a tremendous amount of time and energy into giving us all a better understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder.

If you've taken the time to read this review, then I strongly suggest you read Ms Reiland's book. I hope that you find it to impact your own life in the strong, positive way that it impacted mine.