What is it like to live with Borderline Personality Disorder? Find out on November 15 at Ridgefield Playhouse



 The Ridgefield Playhouse is pleased to announce a special screening of BORDERLINE, the first documentary to capture the lived experience of someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). This film is presented by Silver Hill Hospital. There is NO COST to attend this event.

People say a Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) diagnosis is equivalent to walking through life with a Do Not Resuscitate order. To the extent that it is portrayed in popular culture, the disorder is often caricatured: shrieking outbursts, bleeding eyeliner, dark mascara and slashed wrists. This film does not do that.

Regina is a 45 year old woman – outta work and outta love. Witty and self-aware, she makes observations that are uncomfortable but astute, reacts on impulse, attacks, distracts, meditates, trips over herself, laughs, burns bridges, makes social gaffes, apologizes, loses her cool, philosophizes and remains dogged in her search for recovery. Yet, the human intimacy she needs most to recover, her symptoms threaten to destroy.

Using verité footage along with artful vignettes that evoke quick-shift mood changes and distortions, BORDERLINE offers viewers insight into a misunderstood, highly stigmatized mental health diagnosis whose symptoms express the extremes of everyday human suffering. The film intimately explores Regina’s inner world as she exposes us to her thoughts, feelings, and concomitant behaviors. Hopefully, this hyper focus on Regina’s psychic life by example, enhances the audience’s capacity for self/other awareness, or at least inspires curiosity to regard themselves and others more complexly.

An estimated 2% of the US population carry the BPD diagnosis - 80% of these people attempt suicide and 10% succeed. Approximately 25% of the inpatient substance addicted and eating disorder populations meet the diagnostic criteria for BPD, yet few are actually diagnosed. Featured in the film are character portrait yet informative interviews with leading BPD clinicians including Marsha Linehan PhD, John Gunderson MD, Peter Fonagy PhD, and Otto Kernberg MD. Additionally, many hours of testimony from clinicians, researchers, and those with the diagnosis have been edited into small topical clips to be presented as a resource on YouTube and the film’s website.

BORDERLINE screens on November 15th at 7pm at The Ridgefield Playhouse located at 80 East Ridge Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877. Immediately following the screening we will host a panel discussion with the film's New York based Director, Rebbie Ratner and Regina V. the film’s main character, along with Dr. Aaron Krasner, Director, Adolescent Transitional Living Program at Silver Hill hospital. Dr. Krasner has published papers about the genetics of schizophrenia as well as a review about the utility of Mentalization Based Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder. Joining the panel is Gina Pulice a licensed clinical social worker who treats patients with the Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis. Ms. Pulice is also featured in the film.

 

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Submitted by Newtown, CT

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