Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Stigma (page 7 of 14)

BPD and the need for compassion

“Compassion.” We all know the word and we know that—among other things—it’s a description of what Jesus showed the outcasts—those the world had rejected. The Bible tells about his unconditional love, the love he has for each of us, no matter who we are, no matter how good or bad we are. We would like […]

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Ostracized – A life with BPD

We are social creatures. Most people need friends. We need to know we are loved. When those are lacking, our mental health suffers. Many people living with BPD end up suffering from a deep and painful sense of being unwanted. This became the case for one person, though it had not always been like that. […]

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A torrent of pain and anger

  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13   In June 2015 I wrote: “Now-a-days I often have to preface what I say to everyone with “Have I told you this before?” My short-term memory has become […]

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Have mercy on me! – life with BPD

I wrote the following in November 2015 during one of the most difficult periods in my life. It would lead to years of ongoing suffering. Today, thank God, my life is starting to turn around…or is it? When one suffers from bipolar disorder as well as features of borderline personality disorder—two major mental health problems […]

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BPD – Stigma? Me?

Stigma is like a dirty word to most of us. We would not think of stigmatizing people with mental health problems or people with other disabilities. We don’t want to harm them, but try to follow Jesus by treating them with kindness. We want to help them find healing. And yet, it’s in that very […]

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Brothers and sisters all

The blacks of South Africa were considered inferior. Nelson Mandela brought in a more equal social order. He made a difference. Women were—and still are—considered inferior to men. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and others made a difference. Rosa Parks, considered an inferior black, refused to let a white passenger take her seat on the bus. She […]

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March on Washington – A life worth living – Part 57

MARCH ON WASHINGTON The August 28, 1963, march on Washington was the most significant and moving demonstration for freedom and justice in the history of the United States. Washington had never seen a spectacle of the size and grandeur that assembled there. Among the nearly 250,000 people, there were dignitaries and celebrities. But the most […]

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Freedom songs – A life worth living – Part 56

Pete Seeger, singing We Shall Overcome. An important part of the civil rights movement was the freedom songs. King called them the “soul of the movement,” as old as the history of the African-American in the U.S. There were songs of sorrow, the shouts for joy, the battle hymns, and the anthems. Words like, “Woke […]

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BPD – I’m not a bad person

When asked, most will say a person should be judged by what’s in their heart, not by their outward appearance. But that goes out the window when they see behaviour they find alarming. Behaviour they don’t understand. In my own case, I was hurt by things said to me or done to me. Without the […]

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BPD – Man’s inhumanity to man

People with BPD are often treated like untouchables in our modern world. Medical professionals and counselors don’t want to deal with them. They are feared by the people around them—feared because they don’t know the kind of response to expect. But if we want to follow Christ’s ways, we must try and treat those who […]

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