Let's face it, BPD isn't sexy and there's no glamorous face to put on the issue. A big issue for Florida Borderline Personality Disorder Association has been the challenge of nominal fundraising. We have no soft, warm kittens or puppies to showcase. There are no visible deformities that might garner some sympathy. The BPD movement has no corporate sponsored pink ribbons on soup cans, yogurt, or breakfast cereal to remind grocery shoppers on a daily basis that BPD is, in fact, highly treatable and that there is hope.

Hollywood's iconic images of a vengeful Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, a self-absorbed yet fragile Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted, or a masochistic Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar don't do a whole lot to help connect friends and family members to understanding loved ones who have been diagnosed with the disorder in a compassionate way.

For most people who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, the challenges don't stop at simply being able to access evidenced-based treatment. Those with the disorder frequently behave in ways that others find baffling, odd, and come across as manipulative. Sadly, I've spoken with more than a few parents and spouses who assume that their loved one would be trying "harder" if they really wanted to recover.

One of the biggest needs our organization encounters again and again is the desire for those with BPD to connect with others in a meaningful way. FBPDA friend and supporter, Kiera Van Gelder writes in her new book The Buddha and the Borderline: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder Through Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Buddhism, and Online Dating, "If 12-step recovery has taught me one thing, it's that to get better, you need to connect with someone who has gotten through it. To believe that you can survive, you need to see that someone else has done it."

But what happens when our only role models are vengeful, fragile, or masochistic? What happens when no one diagnosed with the disorder has the courage to even talk about it and then is able to come out and tell others, "I recovered and so can you!"

The fact is that people with BPD can and do get to a point where they can develop and sustain healthy relationships, go back to school and complete a semester without dropping out, keep a job for more than a couple of months, plan weddings, successfully parent and, in the words of Dialectical Behavior Therapy developer Marsha Linehan, PhD, "Create a life worth living." I'm happy to report that we hear similar success stories every day.

Dr. Mary Zanarini writes, "Most people meeting criteria for BPD change slowly over time. While researchers have developed comprehensive psychosocial treatments for BPD, most patients improve with the help of treatment as usual as well as the support and guidance of those who care about them. The evidence suggests that BPD is a good prognosis diagnosis. While these individuals can be difficult and challenging, they deserve our respect for their struggles to achieve a better and less painful adaptation to the life they were given."

Indeed, part of our vision at FBPDA is to hopefully establish a mentorship program where those individuals who have been just diagnosed with BPD can be paired with men and women who are in recovery and are no longer meeting the DSM-IV-TR criteria for the disorder. We envision a full program where people are not only connected but also encouraged and supported by someone who has the capacity and interest to help others who are feeling lost, confused, and discouraged by the diagnosis.

In my own life, I'm so thankful of the examples of recovery that women like Kiera, Tami Green, and Amanda Wang have set before me and countless others. Without their ability to speak about their own personal experiences with BPD, I don't think that I could share mine or be in a position to help others.

Think again about the pink ribbon message. Every October, breast cancer survivors, their families, and friends come together to walk, run, bike, and swim in their own communities for one cause. Their common goal? To not only raise awareness and much-needed research funding but to also be a living and breathing testimony of health and happiness to others.

The need for support, education, and advocacy doesn't end on May 31. What are you doing today, tomorrow, and even next year to carry the message that BPD is a diagnosis that also brings a message of hope and a lifetime of recovery?