To want to be a mental health nurse even though I have a diagnosis of BPD

[BananaRama990]

Hi,

So basically what I said in the title, I was diagnosed with BPD almost 4 years ago and I am almost complete with my DBT program.
I am pretty stable, haven't self harmed etc for over a year. However I do have an active eating disorder which I am waiting to receive treatment for.
I'm 21 and I've just started back at college hoping to gain my Access qualification so that I can start uni in 2 years.
I really want to do mental health nursing, however I'm now really anxious that they won't allow me to do it because of my diagnosis.
What do you think? Please be honest

I think uni in 2 years time and then graduation will give you 5 years to continue to refine and practice skills and increase stability.
Its not an easy job. You'll have to prioritize your mental health. But if you can do it then you'll be an asset with your lived experience.

I did DBT at 22. I'm 36 now and have worked in mental health all my adult life. Go for it. But look after yourself and recognize your limits.

They can't not let you on the course because of a historical health diagnosis. If you meet the criteria you meet the criteria.

Do it! I’m a social worker in a CMHT and have had my own issues over the years, which have informed my practice for the better! You would not be discriminated against for having a mental health diagnosis 💕

I'm a modern matron for a MH ward.

Yes, you can do it. To refuse someone a job due to BPD would be discrimination and would lose some good staff. Occ Health will ask you, provided you're reassuring you shouldn't have a problem.

Think about where you work. Even amongst people who should know better, you may encounter lots of "they're a PD" nastiness. It's not ok, although it's arguably in part a result of an exhausted and currently quite traumatised workforce. Not your problem though.

How would you feel responding to self-harm? Restraining? It's tough for anyone so have a think. You might be better off working in somewhere like EIP, or you mught find your lived experience is really helpful.

No, it’s not an unreasonable goal- but you do need to be in a place where you can keep yourself well so that you can support your patients. It’s a tough job, but your experience may be a plus point in the long run.

Thanks all,
Yes I definitely do think I would be able to manage. I want to help people see that life can get better and I think that my own experience will help me do that.
Plus I didn't actually think about basically having 5 more years to further improve myself.
I was just beginning to doubt myself and think I was crazy for wanting to do it.

I think it’s lovely and it would mean you have a lot of compassion towards your patients. I think a lot of the best nurses and doctors choose their field based on personal experiences. I second the posters that say they can’t discriminate against you for it.

Mental health nursing will be tough.
Life experience and maturity will be the best preparation.
Look after you own health first OP then you will be an asset to the service.

I've worked in recovery services and find that the first year or two of recovery a good chunk of people want to work in recovery services because it's a life-changing, evangelical thing.

You've just had similar with DBT. Wait a few years before you start down a specific road.

Having been in a similar situation, I strongly don't recommend it. Working in mental health, when you have mental health issues yourself, can be REALLY triggering. From what I've read, even people without mental health issues can end up with mental health issues after working in mental health, so for people who already have mental health issues, it's really not a good idea. There are articles you can read about it, I'll see if I can find some.

(OP i want to add that I'm not saying this to be unkind or anything. I was in a very similar situation and thought it would be fine but it wasn't and I just want to be honest, as it can be very risky)

I have a diagnosis of BPD too, and when I expressed the same interest about working in MH further on down the line, my whole care team talked me out of it.

If you are determined then I would be waiting a while after finishing DBT, and are no longer under MH services. Rather than go straight into an Access course, maybe try and get a job as an HCA on your local MH ward for a while first. That way, you could see if you could handle things like seeing self harm, restraining etc like a pp said. The experience would be great for when you apply to uni too.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

I do get that obviously it is a risk that I will find it triggering and that's why I'm only considering it as a possibility at the moment.
I just really want to help other people access mental health support. When I first started having issues it was seen as such a stigma and it prevented me from allowing myself to receive the treatment I really needed for a long time.
I want to remove this stigma etc for people.

OP, it is lovely that you want to help others, but working in mental health is very stressful and emotionally exhausting.
Plenty of practitioners suffer burnout, without having any pre-existing problems themselves.
Would it perhaps be more sensible to have a non stressful day job in an unrelated field, and just do part time volunteering in the mental health arena, such as with Samaritans or a patient support group?
That way if you are triggered or distressed, you can withdraw for a few weeks to gather your strength. You can just commit to a few hours a week in the first place.

I have BPD and work in mental health, but I’ve been in recovery for 8yrs now. It’s a hard job anyway, and harder with BPD as you have to work harder to keep well. I work in a personality disorder service and there are a number of us with BPD diagnosis. Some of those not so established in their recovery have really struggled and one had a serious relapse.

I think having another 5yrs under your belt will be helpful.

On the plus side, it is HUGELY rewarding - my own lives experience is inherent in my role, which I use to inspire hope of recovery for others and teach them the skills they will need.

Oh also to add - your ability to cope in the job will depend an AWFUL lot on the quality of you line manager. There is still a lot of stigma around BPD among MH professionals unfortunately. If you get a good manager, who has had decent training (KUF trading for example) and is open minded and well informed about BPD then you should be ok. But you could also end up with a manager and colleagues who still hold unhelpful and harmful views around BPD and who won’t be interested in chi Byng their attitude or giving you a chance.

Because I work in a PD service, all my colleagues and managers are very clued up and supportive. But I realise how lucky I am when I speak to other people in the trust in other services who are not so well supported by their managers.

I’d say go for it but I think it’s absolutely vital you get experience as a health care assistant on a mental health ward. Nursing courses are really difficult and giving yourself that practical experience will do you absolute wonders and help you get through it.

Another option would be something like Occupational Therapy OP where there are posts in mental and physical health but you can always change if mental health becomes too challenging. Worth having a look at. You may well be an asset but make sure you put your own health first. Loads of mental health staff have had difficulties especially nurses and allied health professionals - you can bring a lot to the patients if you are able to manage your own triggers.

It's really common for ex patients and carers/family members to work in mental health. Many trust are now creating paid peer support worker roles for people with lived experience. It can definitely be an asset to help you be a more compassionate professional.

I'm an autistic person working in mental health services. Before that I was a service user rep. I do find it triggering and frustrating sometimes and you do sometimes hear ignorant things said about people that will upset you (once heard a psychologist say what's the point of giving therapy to autistic people as you can't cure them, for example). It can be very rewarding on the other hand.

Good luck.