An exploration of how women and non-normative identifying persons labelled with BPD construct their sense of self: A Foucauldian discourse analysis of published first-hand testimonies.

Abstract

Abstract It has been recognised within the literature that women and non-normative identifying persons are more likely to be labelled with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), pathologising their responses to relational and systemic violence and subjecting them to blaming and rejecting treatments. While there has been significant criticism of the medical model and BPD construct, this medicalised understanding of individuals' distress is still the most widely recognised and culturally endorsed model in the UK. Furthermore, the lived experiences of women and non-normative identifying persons remain largely unexplored, with a dearth of literature examining the implications of the diagnosis with an intersectional lens. This qualitative research aims to explore how dominant discourses of BPD and intersecting marginalised social categories impact individuals' identities and socially constructed realities. The wider aspirations of this thesis are to resist psychiatric structures and interlocking systems of domination exercised through the discursive construct of BPD, which serve to separate and control persons. Four first-hand testimonial written narratives were purposefully selected from online publications, written by three women and one non-normative identifying person who had been diagnosed with BPD. They were analysed using a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) to examine power relations and power implications inherent in the accounts. Particular attention was paid to discourses that encapsulated the narrators' sense of self and subjectivity. The research paradigm adheres to social constructionist and critical theory frameworks, as it is concerned with tracing and uncovering historically and culturally constituted discourses which privilege and normalise gendered inequality and oppression. The analysis indicated that intersecting BPD and othering discourses (classist, sexist, heterosexist and racist) constructed unique experiences of disempowerment and psycho-social torment for individuals with intersecting social identities. The analysis suggested that the BPD label operates as a form of epistemic violence, invalidating and masking the injury and hurt caused by systemic trauma through an internalisation of stigma and being subjected to discrimination and social exclusion. There were unexpected findings concerning the relationship between BPD and autism diagnostic labels, which were expanded on during the discussion. Implications and recommendations for counselling psychology practice were discussed across different domains, such as social justice, intersectionality and social models of distress. Limitations and further research were considered. Key words: BPD, Foucauldian Discourse Analysis, Systemic Trauma, Epistemic Violence, Gendered Power Dynamics

Date of Award	13 Aug 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Erica Burman (Main Supervisor) & Sandra Ajaps (Co Supervisor)