Mental illness spares no one: children, adolescents, adults, and even the elderly. Chances are, you may have a friend, parent, sibling, relative, coworker, or spouse who has it. When a loved one is affected, it changes the dynamic of the relationships we have.

Oftentimes, psychiatric disorders are powerful enough to wreak havoc on the entire household simply because people don’t know enough about it, and how to deal with it. When these issues aren’t addressed properly, it can lead to a painful cycle of blame and hurt.

The most common mental illness is borderline personality disorder (BPD), which affects 2% of the American population each year. It is characterized by the inability to maintain stable personal relationships and extremely impulsive behavior; which is why it is commonly referred to as emotionally unstable personality disorder or emotional intensity disorder, among others. Symptoms of borderline personality disorder usually manifest themselves during adolescence or early childhood, but it can also occur later in life for others. BPD is associated with self-harm and suicide, but when diagnosed and treated early on the prognosis is quite good.

In his book entitled Borderline Personality Disorder: Everything You Need To Know About Borderline Personality Disorder author Richard Smith details all the aspects surrounding this mysterious yet common illness.

Here are some of things you will learn about:

• Symptoms of borderline personality disorder

• Conventional and alternative treatment options

• Living with someone who has BPD

• How to communicate with someone who has BPD

• The impact of BPD in families

• How to convince your child to get treatment

• Choosing the right therapist

• How family and friends can help loved ones with BPD