The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide by Alexander L. Chapman Summary

The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide provides a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of BPD, including its symptoms, causes, and treatments like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mentalization-based therapy (MBT). It offers practical coping strategies for emotional instability, self-harm, and relationship challenges, emphasizing skill-building for emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

This book is essential for individuals with BPD, their loved ones, and mental health professionals. It serves as a roadmap for understanding the disorder, debunking myths, and navigating treatment options like DBT. The clear, compassionate tone makes complex concepts accessible to non-experts.

Yes—it’s widely praised for its actionable advice and clinical expertise. Awarded the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit, it combines research-backed strategies with relatable metaphors and case studies, making it a trusted resource for managing BPD.

Key concepts include:

• Emotional sensitivity: BPD involves heightened emotional reactivity and slow return to baseline.
• Invalidating environments: Social contexts that dismiss emotional experiences worsen symptoms.
• DBT skills: Mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness are core focuses.

The book reframes self-harm as a maladaptive coping mechanism for emotional relief, self-punishment, or communication of distress. It emphasizes replacing harmful behaviors with DBT skills like grounding techniques and creating a "crisis survival plan."

Chapman highlights DBT and MBT as gold-standard therapies. DBT focuses on skill-building for emotional regulation, while MBT improves understanding of mental states in oneself and others. Medication is discussed as a supplementary option for co-occurring conditions like depression.

It explores how BPD impacts relationships, offering strategies to reduce conflicts, improve assertiveness, and set boundaries. The authors stress the importance of validating emotions while encouraging accountability for harmful behaviors.

Notable quotes include:

• "Some people are simply born more emotionally intense... this is probably not going to change" (on inherent emotional traits).
• "Self-harm often serves as a misguided attempt to regain control" (on understanding self-injury).

Unlike technical manuals, this guide prioritizes accessibility without sacrificing clinical rigor. It uniquely integrates DBT and MBT frameworks, distinguishes BPD from similar disorders, and provides worksheets for practical application.

Some readers note the book focuses heavily on DBT, with less coverage of newer therapies like schema therapy. However, its balanced emphasis on acceptance and change remains widely praised.

With rising awareness of BPD and teletherapy, the book’s digital-friendly exercises and timeless strategies for emotional regulation align with modern mental health trends. Its focus on skill-based recovery resonates in an era prioritizing self-management tools.

Alexander L. Chapman, a leading BPD researcher and DBT trainer, draws from decades of clinical practice and co-authored pivotal studies. His work at Simon Fraser University’s Personality and Emotion Research Laboratory informs the book’s evidence-based approach.