BPD does not define me

Borderline personality disorder or BPD is a mental illness that starts in adolescence. BPD is brought on by a traumatic event that occurs in a teenager's life as their brain is learning how to regulate and control emotions. BPD is characterised by many different traits and a person does not have to fit all the symptoms for them to be diagnosed with this illness. I started displaying symptoms of mental illness when I was 14 but was not diagnosed with BPD until I was 21. This book is a guide for those who are diagnosed themselves, for their friends and family or even help professionals who may have little understanding of the illness. This is what each symptom means to me and examples of when I have displayed them. Maybe you can relate.