Why I’m Not Quick to Dismiss the Black Sheep Project
Responding to a couple comments:
1. “Fuck this project and its message of ‘bpd people will make you miserable and you matter more than them’”
There’s a lot of stigma towards personality disorders, especially BPD in that partners and family are the ones have to deal with us so “woe is them”. I definitely understand the defensiveness here. I do think it’s important to research organizations before stating harsh opinions. Other than the site’s link to Stop Walking On Eggshells, I don’t see how this staunch criticism is warranted. Sympathy for challenges of loved ones in BPD relationships does not equate to minimizing the Borderline’s challenges. You can still empathize with loved ones with out dismissing the person with Borderline.
2. “Fuck we don’t need a bpd autism speaks, stop this shit before it starts“
First, some background. Why Autism Speaks receives so much criticism:
a) They seek to find a cure, implying individuals with Autism need to be corrected
b) It tries to speak for those with Autism
c) Funds are not allocated to directly help those with Autism
Is the Black Sheep Project doing the same thing?
a) if you took the time, you’d see that actual Borderlines are running the organization. Watch vid here to hear her talk about de-stigmatizing Borderline so that we can stop looking at sufferers as people with a “bad personality”. b) You could argue that just because she has Borderline, it doesn’t mean she speaks for everyone with BPD. So far, I have not seen her misrepresent the disorder and even if she did, who’s to say we can’t open a discussion to influence how she runs the organization? Watch all her vids here. You decide. c) It’s good to be vigilant of non-profits, yet this project has barely launched. In fact, this isn’t even the official version of their website. To paint the Black Sheep Project as another Autism Speaks before they’ve even received funding is disingenuous and discouraging.
Conclusion: I see three elements to Black Sheep Project: direct assistance and care to Borderlines, direct assistance and care to loved ones, and education for mental health professionals. I’m in favor. BPD is still so fucking hard to talk about and so far, I like what they are trying to do.
I’m not going to force myself to see the bad until they actually do fuck up.