In this session you will hear from someone who identifies as having borderline personality disorder (BPD), who has experience of both good and not so good services. Next year is the 20th anniversary of the revolutionary paper – ‘Personality Disorder No Longer A Diagnosis of Exclusion’. In this session, Peter Fonagy and Adrian James, together with Marsha McAdam, aim to have a frank and meaningful conversation about personality disorders - particularly borderline personality disorder and the social injustices and inequalities that the label very often attracts. Adrian, Peter and Marsha will unpack some of what they have collaborated on for the last few years, including being creative and bringing health and social care leaders across many sectors together for 'International Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month 2022. – A Tale of 3 Cities Goes Global 2022'. 

They will discuss some of Peter’s life work on borderline personality disorder, including mentalization based therapy and also how Adrian has taken the opportunity as President of RCPsych to address some of the damaging associations of this diagnosis and the commissioning of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health to engage with a wider community on this subject.

This session will also discuss a proposed All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Mental Health meeting on borderline personality disorder and the partnership between Mark Winstanley (CEO of Rethink), Peter and Marsha. It will also look at the 'Complex Emotional Needs Charter', 'Metro Mayors BPD round table' and 'A Tale of 7 Cities goes Global 2023', showing some of the conversations captured.

In conversation with ...

Chair: Marsha McAdam, Mental Health Advocate, London, United Kingdom.

Peter Fonagy, Anna Freud Centre, London, United Kingdom.

Adrian James, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, United Kingdom.