This week, I covered as the attending on the small inpatient/residential unit associated with my agency. It is a faster pace with a different focus without a doubt. To be honest, it brought me back to my days as a nurse working evening shift on the unit.
However, as a therapist, BPD is endlessly intriguing and inspiring. The capacity for emotion in most individuals I have encountered with this diagnosis is impressive. Some of the most articulate narratives of the human experience of suffering have come in moments of crisis and clarity while 'trapped' with themselves in the inpatient setting. And despite the 'interpersonal chaos' in their lives, clients with BPD often have an emotional sensitivity that can transform into a deep empathy for others.
I do my best for those I serve... I offer what I can to assist them be it pharmacological or psychotherapeutic, but most importantly, I offer them respect for the uphill battle they face with courage every day.