BPD Fact: People with BPD create false ideas in their heads about loved ones leaving them, and they will do anything to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Sometimes, this appears to be manipulative or attention-seeking, but it is not. People with BPD will sometimes say or do certain things to avoid abandonment, whether real or imagined, but these are never intended simply to attract attention. It is important to recognize this, as telling someone with BPD anything like this can be very damaging and invalidating, and it contributes to a harmful stigma.

Autism Fact: Absence of empathy isn’t an autism trait. Autistic people often have trouble reading body language and social cues, therefore they might not understand at first when someone is upset. As soon as you tell them, however, autistic people can often relate very strongly to how you are feeling and try to help! Since autistic brains work differently, an autistic person may have trouble understanding why a certain situation is making you upset. However, this doesn’t stop them from being able to empathize with how you feel. Autistic people may also not be able to express empathy in a way that you expect, but this does not mean that they do not feel it.

ADHD Fact: A commonly perpetuated myth is that girls and people born female are less likely to have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. This is because ADHD presents itself differently in girls than in boys. Girls and AFAB people with ADHD tend to have inattentive ADHD, while boys and AMAB people tend to have hyperactive ADHD. Inattentive ADHD can make it difficult for a person to focus and stay on task or remember details. Women with ADHD get called “chatty” or “spacey” instead of being given a proper diagnosis. This myth that ADHD does not affect women and girls is harmful because it stops people from getting the diagnoses and accommodations they need.

OCD Fact: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images or urges that trigger intense feelings of distress. They are disturbing and all the individual wants is to stop them. Behaviours that the person does to try and attempt to get rid of the obsessions and decrease their distress are called compulsions.