Since discovering I have BPD, I've wanted to learn as much as I can about the disorder so that I would have every fighting chance of being able to fight this. Knowing there's no cure can be daunting, but knowing it can be managed brings hope. Researchers have found that in most cases of people with BPD certain areas of the brain were actually smaller or had unusual levels of activity. Those 3 areas of the brain are the ones which regulate emotion, behavior and self control and decision making. Although that can be a bitter pill to swallow, I feel like it's lifted a weight from my shoulders. Mental health isn't considered socially acceptable, even though we have physical deficiencies???? That seems bs to me.  Reading this research has made me feel like I should be going easier on myself. It's not our fault. It's a default setting. I'm not saying we should use this as an excuse for our behavior, just that we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves when we have a default brain function. It makes me feel somewhat powerful to know that when a family member makes a negative comment about my past behavior, I can fully accept that my brain doesn't function as a "normal" persons does and contributed to me acting a certain way. Knowing I've fought through despite the fact that I have to work twice as hard as others to regulate myself because I have a defective brain is empowering to me.