BPD and Self-Direction: Why I Keep Changing Jobs

What happens when BPD affects your goals, career choices, and sense of direction in life?

In this episode of The BPD Bunch, Xannie, Madhurima, Carys, and Solène talk about self-direction through the lens of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders.

Under the AMPD, difficulties with self-direction are considered part of impairments in self functioning, alongside identity. To meet criteria for BPD in this model, a person must have difficulties in at least two areas of personality functioning: identity, self direction, empathy, or intimacy, along with four or more pathological personality traits, which we’ll be discussing in more detail later this season.

We explore:

• why people with BPD may struggle to stick with one job or career

• constantly changing direction and starting over

• tying your identity to work and what happens when that falls apart

• being influenced by other people’s goals or expectations

• the belief that if it’s “right,” it should feel easy

• how self-direction connects to identity and recovery

If you’ve ever asked yourself “what am I doing with my life?” and felt like the answer keeps changing, this episode is for you.

This is part of our Season 7 series where we’re breaking BPD down through the lens of the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders.

In the first two episodes of the season, Dr. Carla Sharp, Dr. Frank Yeomans, and Dr. Alex Stein explained what the AMPD is, how it changes from the current categorical model, and how the BPD diagnosis is changing. In case you missed it, here are the links:

Part 1

Part 2

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About Us:

The BPD bunch is a YouTube talk show, featuring a panel of people who are in functional recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder. Each week we discuss BPD-related topics to help give you insights into the different ways BPD can be expressed in someone’s life. We also cover the different paths we followed on our recovery journeys to give you hope and direction for your own ❤️

Thank you for being on this journey of healing with us!

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Disclaimer:

This video is for education only and is not meant to provide professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.