A Victoria woman with borderline personality disorder is calling on Island Health to expand treatment options after being told she was not sick enough for one of its mental-health programs.
“You basically need to be self-harming or be in the hospital to get in,” said Amanda Jennifer, who has started a letter-writing campaign to the health authority and B.C. politicians.
“If these programs were used as preventative [care], there would be people using emergency services much less.”
Others with the disorder also say the lack of spaces in treatment programs forces those who can afford it to travel off the Island to get help. Island Health says that while current programs are full; it’s looking at different ways to treat patients sooner.
Amanda Jennifer (who goes by her first and middle names) was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2012.
“I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since I was a kid,” she said, adding she would experience random thoughts of self-harm, suicide or uncontrollable crying. When her boyfriend suggested something deeper might be going on, she saw her family doctor, who said it might be bipolar disorder. A more thorough assessment with a psychiatrist revealed borderline personality disorder.
“Getting a diagnoses was a relief in a way, because then you have a starting point to get better,” she said. “But the stigma I felt, wondering who I could tell what, was not easy.”
Luckily, the 36-year-old single mother had friends who were familiar with mental-health issues and supportive.
She was referred to a community psychiatrist who offered her therapy, lifestyle and dietary counselling, not just medication. She joined support groups. She started to tailor her yoga practice for mental health, becoming a teacher and advocate in the process.
“But I still have bad days and there’s always the risk and fear that one day the medications won’t work,” she said. This is why she is reaching out to Island Health.
One of the most effective and common treatments for the illness is called dialectical behaviour therapy, which helps people manage their emotions through regular therapy sessions.
“The big thing about DBT is mindfulness, becoming acutely aware of what’s happening in your body and having the skills to manage it,” said Amanda Jennifer. Island Health uses DBT in some of its programs for a limited number of usually the most-severe clients. “I’d like to see a system where we’re trying to prevent people from being in a crisis before they get help.”
Kelly Reid, director of operations for mental health and substance abuse services at Island Health, said he is aware of Amanda Jennifer’s campaign.
“The majority of our services are directed to the highest need,” he said, adding the health authority is currently soliciting feedback for a three-year strategic plan, which already has a clear emphasis on redirecting services to more preventative programs.
“We’re working with primary-care doctors to be more collaborative with mental health,” he said. “I don’t want to say we’re going to add a layer of new services, but we will be making them more accessible to a broader range of people.”
He said many of the programs have waitlists, including ones that use DBT — which is a specialized longer-term therapy that requires extra staff and intensive training.
“Programs are full no question and that’s the case across the province and country, which is part of the reason we are looking at prevention,” he said.
Baylie McKnight helps run the borderline personality disorder support group of about a dozen people who meet weekly in Victoria. She said increasing capacity in existing services is crucial.
“It’s not so much that the services aren’t there or lacking, it’s that there are not enough spaces,” she said.
She paid her own way to Vancouver every week for two years for DBT. “The waiting lists are long, there’s lots of red tape and the services are not consistent.”
She said one of the most important preventative tools for mental health issues is education for those who might be ill and their family members.
“I wish I had the knowledge I have now when I was 11,” she said. “Parents and educators need it too.”
