1. Dreaming of a better way. 2. A Historical perspective. 3. The disliked patient. 4. Personality development. 5. Complex post traumatic syndrome. 6. Treatability. 7. Is suffering an illness? 8. Getting our act together. 9. The task. 10. Demographics and themes. 11. What personality disorder means to us. 12. Experiences. 13. The moral career of the client. 14. The diagnostic straightjacket. 15. Spreading the word. 16. New beginnings. Index.

Personality Disorder (PD) is one of the most difficult psychological conditions to classify and treat and in the past literature on the subject has tended to neglect the invaluable viewpoint of sufferers themselves. Drawing on extensive research carried out in conjunction with service users, Heather Castillo seeks to adjust this imbalance and looks at the classification and treatment of PD from the service users' viewpoint. This book emphasises the need for health professionals to reassess their approach to the condition and allows those with PD to effectively define themselves and their illness. With a wide range of case study material and analysis, this book is essential reading for mental health professionals, workers in the voluntary and forensic sectors and service users themselves.

Heather Castillo is the Advocacy Service Manager for Colchester Mind. She has worked for twelve years in Mind Organisations in North East Essex, developing Advocacy for adults with mental health problems.