BPD Awareness Month - Congressional History

On April 1, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed,

by a vote of 414-0, House Resolution 1005

which supports the month of May as

Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. 

Read the RESOLUTION here.

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Tom Davis, Ranking Member

http://republicans.oversight.house.gov

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release                     Contact: Brian McNicoll

April 1, 2008                                         (202) 225-5074

Ranking Member Davis Hails Passage

of Borderline Personality Disorder Legislation

Measures to Strengthen D.C. Court System Also Gain Approval

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Rep. Tom Davis, R-VA., Ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today thanked his colleagues for approving legislation he introduced to increase awareness of Borderline Personality Disorder.

BPD afflicts 3 million Americans and accounts for a fifth of those admitted to psychiatric hospitals. The disease, which prevents victims for managing emotions effectively, leads to impulsivity, mood swings, rage, bodily self harm, chaotic relationships and fear of abandonment. BPD victims commit suicide at 400 times the rate of the general public.

The National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder designates May as Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. Davis’ resolution, which passed 414-0, supports this designation.

“Mental health professionals have recognized this disease since 1980, yet it continues to lag far behind other psychiatric disorders of similar prevalence in research, treatment options and family education,” said Davis. “Raising awareness of this disease is an important first step toward getting the recognition and research dollars that, hopefully, can help future victims and their families avoid the enormous suffering this disease causes now.”

Davis also lauded passage of two measures to improve the District of Columbia court system – one that raised the number of judges from 58 to 61 and another that increased pay for attorneys who represent indigent defendants from $65 per hour to $80 per hour.

Congress previously limited D.C. courts to 58 judges plus one chief judge, unless additional judges were needed for Family Court. The District of Columbia Family Court Act of 2001 increased the number of number of Family Court judges from 12 to 15, which created a backlog among judges not in Family Court. This legislation addresses that backlog.

The move to increase pay for those who represent indigent defendants brings those in D.C. Courts in line with those elsewhere in the federal system, who get $100 per hour.

“These measures should help the D.C. court system perform more effectively,” Davis said. “It’s important that, since Congress has jurisdiction over D.C. courts, that we keep the system functioning properly. These measures will assure the District has the judges it needs and that indigent defendants receive the representation they deserve.”

Statement of Congressman Chris Van Hollen on H. Res. 1005,

Borderline Personality Awareness Month

            Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1005, a resolution supporting the designation of May as Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. I want to thank my colleague Tom Davis for his leadership on an issue that is very important to many Americans.

            Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental health illness that centers on the inability of people to manage their emotions effectively. Approximately 4 million Americans suffer from borderline personality disorder. Its symptoms include destructive impulsiveness, rage, marked shifts in mood, bodily self-harm, chaotic relationships, fears of abandonment, substance abuse, and unstable self-identity. Though it was officially recognized in 1980 by the psychiatric community, borderline personality disorder is at least two decades behind in research, treatment options, and education compared to other major mental illnesses.

            Borderline personality disorder can have a devastating impact on people’s lives. While some persons with this disorder may be functioning normally in certain settings, their private lives are often in turmoil. Others are unable to work and require financial support. If Americans would like more information on borderline personality disorder, I encourage them to visit the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder website at www.neabpd.org or the National Alliance on Mental Illness website at www.nami.org.

            Madam Speaker, this resolution acknowledges the pressing burden of those afflicted with borderline personality disorder and seeks to spread awareness of this under-recognized, and often misunderstood, mental illness. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.