I never thought I'd make it to this moment as someone who suffers from BPD. I'll be going to a top 10 ranked medical school in August and I'm so grateful to be here! I really want to work to promote access to mental health in my career as a physician, having gone through what I have gone through. 

My therapist was so surprised at my progress throughout the years, and encouraged me to share this news in order to try to dispel the myth that BPD sufferers cannot amount to much in life. We're surrounded by so much negativity that we oftentimes victimize and self sabotage ourselves and believe that our lives aren't worth much.

I think people who don't have BPD really underestimate how difficult this condition is, and sometimes it's a fight to even live normally. I'm not gonna lie, it was really really difficult at times, and I ended up in the hospital twice during college, suffered from self harm, and lost many close relationships. I just wanted to share because I know many of you have been going through a lot for years and it seems like you can never catch a break... but it's super important to know that you CAN be successful, and you CAN offer a ton of value to the world despite any flaws you perceive you have.

I know medical school will be the hardest thing I have done in my life, and balancing it with BPD won't be easy. But I know that it will be worth it. I will be working hard on myself, going to therapy frequently, taking medication, changing my habits, and working towards stable relationships as much as I can. I want to do this because I know that I can do so much good in the world despite all the challenges I face.

My intention is to give people hope that you CAN do well even with BPD. I also know that it might trigger some feelings of inadequacy when looking at yourself. But please realize that I was once extremely hopeless, on the edge of dying. I wasn't able to do much. Just getting out of bed was difficult. Reaching out for help felt impossible. But I made small, consistent improvements over the years. I set tiny goals and worked to achieve small successes, and they added up, compounding into the story you read today. It's not going to be easy, and there will be many relapses along the way, but you can do it. Keep going to therapy even when it doesn't feel like it's working. Keep taking your medications. Keep optimizing your life habits. Keep contributing in small ways to your community or to those around you. Keep trying to work through your relationships. 

To all who read. Please survive. Please fight. Please heal. The world needs you, and you have so much to offer.