About Us

When you understand, you cannot help but love; and when you love, you naturally act in a way that can relieve the suffering of people.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Sanctuary was founded in February 2012 by Judy and Bob Burke, parents of an adult woman with BPD.  Finding no support or information through Mental Health authorities, they located other sources of assistance for their daughter, and once she had benefitted from those, decided to share their learning with other Carers. The result was Sanctuary, which today is a group of more than 400 people, who each care for a family member or other person affected by Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

 

Sanctuary aims

• To create a haven for BPD Carers, where experiences and information can be shared
• To support each other in our efforts to make sense of this debilitating and serious mental illness, to relate to the person we care for with understanding and compassion, and to find appropriate clinical support and treatment
• To help members and others gain a better understanding of BPD, by countering discrimination and misinformation, and replacing it with sound, clinically-based information
• To promote the need for access to a range of treatments for both individuals and families affected by BPD, and
• To advocate for recognition of BPD, for an end to discrimination against BPD, and for the provision of appropriate care and treatment for those for whom we care.

 

Location

Sanctuary members are primarily located in Adelaide, South Australia, but people from many other locations are also on our mailing list.

Membership

Membership of Sanctuary is available to all Carers of people affected by BPD, and some relevant others. There are no membership fees, although we do appreciate a small donation (a gold coin) from meeting attendees, to cover incidental costs such as gifts to visiting speakers
(Our PayID is info@bpd-carers-sanctuary.org )

Sanctuary is entirely run by volunteers.

 

To join Sanctuary, come to a meeting or contact us here

Upcoming Meetings

Sanctuary meets on the second Tuesday of the month, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm, South Australian time

BPD Carers can attend in person or on-line.  Please contact us here if you'd like to come to a meeting.

List of Upcoming Sanctuary Meetings

To download Sanctuary's Flyer, click here

We operate an information sharing service, available to anyone on our e-mailing list.   Through this service, we provide information which we believe will be of interest to carers of people affected by BPD.

To join the email list,  come along to a Sanctuary meeting or contact us here.

 

Advocacy

We advocate for a better deal for people affected by BPD, by lobbying politicians and other influential people, supporting related petitions, speaking at conferences, etc.

Members’ Library

We have a library of books and DVD’s relevant to caring for someone with BPD.  Free to borrow, return at next monthly meeting.

 

Our beliefs

• Nobody chooses to be mentally ill
• We should focus on the illness, not the behaviour
• Whatever is good for our loved one, is good for us

Browse our Website by Subject

Main Subjects:  Caring for Someone with BPD,  Events,  Getting Help,  Living with BPD,  Research,  BPD in the Media

Other Subjects:  Advocacy, BPD Awareness Week, Couples and Families, Family Connections Course, National BPD Conference, New Member, Sanctuary Meetings, Treatment, Validation, What is BPD

Just show everything.

Just show What's New.

Glossary.

Are you new to all of this? click here

 

This website is produced by members of the Sanctuary Support Group. We are not mental health professionals nor clinicians.  We are ordinary people who care for someone with BPD. This website is a collection of information that we have found helpful or of interest in the context of our own lived experiences. The content of this website is not a substitute for independent professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.

If there is a problem with our website, please contact us here