On a Knife's Edge: A Young Girl's Journey Through Borderline Personality Disorder

by Michelle Karpus

Description When Julie becomes so mentally ill she can no longer cope in society, she is put in a psychiatric hospital with the support of her friends. Once inside the hospital, Julie faces some terrible challenges; her main issue is trusting those in authority. She had uncontrollable reactions, such as self harming and suicidal behaviours when something is out of control, but with the help of her friends and a doctor she gradually starts to get these under more control. But the world of a Borderline is never an easy ride, and Julie portrays the tribulations that this diagnosis may cause. Julie's journey portrays how difficult a patient's role in the hospital is when the staff are met with a talented, yet troubled young individual. How can they cope with Julie's issues without belittling her or making her feel worse? This book will work to sympathise with those who have had similar experiences in hospital and were unable to vent out their problems. This book will also thrive is teaching mental health staff what is perhaps going through a patient's mind. This book challenges staff to look at their approach and language in the way that they treat patients, particularly those with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Genres: Psychology

84 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2009

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understood the anguish the author was trying to portray and I respect her for putting her troubling story out there for others to read, but the jumps between 1st and 3rd person were often confusing and off-putting, and it was not very well written overall, with an awkwardly flowing narrative and a fairly abrupt ending.

[Amanda Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in 2010. On a knifes edge – this is a portrayal of a specific piece of time when she was hospitalised, showing a little tiny bit of her past, and ending on a bad, yet positive note. A very good piece of writing.