Owners Bio

Hi my name is mjtacc and I live in Melbourne, Australia. At University I studied Training & Development and have spent 15 years in the Management /Business/Service Training field within Health, Travel and Small Business industries. I am currently contracted to an International Consultancy Company (3,000 employees) within the Australasian Rim. Apart from my years at Uni I have also studied Rehabilitation, Program Facilitation, Counseling and Negotiation. I enjoy Training & Development as it has an excellent mixture of business and developing people skills.

My introduction to Borderline Personality Disorder was through a relationship with an ex-girlfriend. I had never heard of this disorder before that, let alone know how to deal with it. Maybe it was my Training & Development background that started me researching, or maybe it was my personality of 'needing to understand things'. All I had been told about BPD was that information about the disorder was on the Internet and I could search there for it. I needed a little more than that, I needed some professional advice. I spoke to a doctor who then put me in contact with a therapist and after I spoken to both of them I still knew very little about it! I was shocked by the negativity that they actually attached to this disorder. I went to the Internet but could not find anything about it on any Australian sites, except for a few lines here and there. I went back to the Internet and found an Australian Mental Health site which directed me to an American site. Australia had nothing. I found everything I wanted to know about BPD on international sites. Hundreds of them. Professional and personal information sites for people suffering with the disorder and for those supporting someone with BPD. Book lists, message boards, avenues for support. I started reading….…………… I found two books on the disorder - 'Lost In The Mirror' and 'Life at the Border' - and these books changed everything.

The site has now been running for quite some time and it is now time to develop affiliations with major Health Centres, therapists and support groups. During 2003 our main aims are to:

• increase awareness of this disorder with Government, Clinicians and the public
• public education on the disorder and coping skills to assist those family/partners with support.
• to focus on recovery through the development of specific skills and support
• to develop a database of doctors and therapists experienced with BPD and associated conditions

2002 and then again in 2003

I have been sponsoring a little boy (Luyanda) who lives in Swaziland coming up to three years now. He is doing very well at pre-school and is fit and healthy which is an achievement in itself. He has learnt to write and his notes and drawings are greatly appreciated. His drawings tell me a lot about his village, his friends and his favourite animals (although I don't think that every animal in Swaziland look like 'stick' figures, especially an elephant!). It is a very satisfying feeling watching someone grow and learn in a country where that is sometimes not a normal part of their life. As you can see from the latest pic he is a healthy, growing boy (same pants, longer legs).

My thoughts behind this site are simple - to fill an information void within Australia on this disorder, to assist people in finding experienced professional help, to promote the disorder within Australia and to offer a safe, friendly environment where people can gain a better understanding and talk to others about Borderline Personality Disorder. My knowledge on this topic is what I have learnt from reading, talking with doctors, therapists and people who suffer with this disorder. In no way do I profess to be a qualified expert nor do I believe that this site has all the answers. I am very proud of the efforts of the site and my personal involvement in the design and development of a BPD recovery workbook written by American Psychologist and recovered BP, Laura Paxton. I was honoured by Laura's acknowledgement of my work in her workbook. I have also worked on an education program for family/partners to assist in understanding the disorder and to give them some coping skills as they support the one they love.

The most important thing I learnt about this disorder is to gain an understanding of it and whether you suffer from this disorder or a love someone who has it I urge you to find out about it and to openly talk about it. One point I do want to stress is that there is no better form of diagnosis or advice than from that of a qualified professional who is experienced in dealing with such disorders.

The name of this site is very relevant to me. Like this site, my shack is a getaway in the bush where I can escape to and unwind, relax and get back to basics (you can’t take the country out of the boy). It’s a quiet place where I can go and unwind. It is the perfect atmosphere for writing my book and to enjoy a walk in the bush, a snooze on the verandah, or even a gallop through some of the most spectacular countryside – the Victorian High Country. If you ever want the thrill of a lifetime sign up for the weekend cattle muster. It is an amazing experience, one I will never forget and one I'd like to share (refer health page).

Updated March 2003

I hope this gives you a small glimpse inside 'mjtacc' and why this site exists. I would like to thank a very special group of loving and caring people at 'The Nook' who has advised, guided, supported and pulled me back in line during the development of this site. To name a few is wrong but to miss importance is unforgivable - Sheba, Helen, Surf and Gary I send a thank you from deep within my heart. I would also like to thank Laura, Kathi and Randi for their professional advise and support; my 'Pommie' friend on the other side of the world, Rachel, who made me question everything I wrote then questioned me on it again and finally to the many "BP's" and "Non's" that I spoke to who so openly talked about their own day-to-day lives, childhood's, hurts and experiences. Thank you one and all.

As much as I wish that no one needed information on this disorder, I hope you find this site of some assistance and your feedback would be greatly appreciated. I am now handing the site over to the moderators to run the day to day activities but I will be looking in from time to time. Getting an information and support site up and running in Australia was a goal of mine and I believe that goal has now been reached. I personally need to focus on other goals that I have set myself and get back to following a few of my dreams. Safe travels along the highway that is ahead of you. Stay strong, stay focused and regardless of what others may say - Believe and you will achieve.

~mjtacc~ - July 2001