Living in the Borderlands: A story about Liminality and Identity in Mental Healthcare

ABSTRACT

This short narrative details a defining moment during my mental healthcare experience and borderline personality (BPD) diagnosis. Through the lens of liminality, I detail my experience of both resisting and valuing mental healthcare including my diagnoses, treatment processes, and patient-provider relationships. Consequently, this narrative underscores my experience living as both clinically abnormal and hesitation to live as normal. Above all, my experiences highlight the role of communication in mental health care, and the way it shaped my personal identity.