Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been described as one of the most stigmatised and
problematic diagnoses within the diagnostic system, with service-users pushing back against
the label, and negative bias demonstrated by clinicians. This portfolio aimed to bring to light
some of the problems surrounding the diagnosis. Part A of the portfolio presents a conceptual
review whereby the current diagnostic conceptualisation is critiqued and two other
frameworks from critical psychology literature are used to reconceptualise the experiences of
those with BPD. The advantages and disadvantages of this re-conceptualisation are explored
within the paper, including the clinical implications and how these frameworks may support
trauma-informed services. Part B of this portfolio argues that BPD is a feminised diagnosis as
well as a stigmatised diagnosis, and argues that men are often excluded or neglected within
research into this area. Part two of the portfolio presents an empirical paper that explored how
men construct and re-construct their self-concept after receiving the diagnosis of BPD. The
three narratives presented describe a journey, within which tone, rhetoric function, identity
and overarching themes are examined. The findings of a critical narrative analysis
demonstrated the influence of the BPD label on men’s self-concept, including their
vulnerability to the stigma of the BPD label, and their sense of masculinity.