The Science of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a common diagnosis in psychiatry—but what does it really mean, and what’s the science behind it? First coined in 1953 by psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut, BPD was intended to help distinguish certain behaviours from serious conditions like schizophrenia. Over time, it became a catch-all label for behaviours that didn’t fit neatly into other diagnoses.

If you've ever struggled with intense emotions, unstable relationships, or frequent job changes, you may have encountered the term 'borderline.' But this term often carries stigma, leading to mixed responses from mental health services. This talk will unpack why that is and explore how BPD can sometimes act like bubble-wrap over other mental health issues—easy to see but often masking deeper layers beneath.

**Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm**

**Speaker bio:**

Peter Tyrer is a Professor of Community Psychiatry at Imperial College and a Visiting Professor of Psychiatry at Nottingham Trent University. In 2009, he chaired the NICE Guideline on Borderline Personality Disorder, openly stating prior to his appointment that he found the diagnosis unhelpful. From 2003 to 2013, he served as Editor-in-Chief for the journals of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. His primary research has focused on personality disorders, and between 2010 and 2017, he chaired the World Health Organization Group responsible for revising the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders.

Presented by Seed Talks

This is an 18+ event