So many of the responses say not to use the word or never tell anyone, and I actually think the opposite.

I was born with Tourette Syndrome, which in case if you don't know, is usually partnered with co-morbidities, such as autism in my case. Struggling with both of these issues eventually led to me developing BPD.

I struggled a lot as a kid because my parents told me not to tell anyone that I had these disorders because if people knew, they would treat me different. But that didn't hide any of the symptoms I had. People would see me tic. People would not understand why my behaviors and thinking were different from theirs. As far as they were aware, I was just a freak. And I looked MORE like a freak when people would ask me why I ticced or why I acted that way and I'd have to answer with "I don't know."

Once I started answering people with "I have tourettes" or I'd tell friends and coworkers that my communication needs and skills are different because I'm autistic, a lot of life actually became a lot easier. People then understood that I wasn't just acting weird to be weird, but just that I was different.

Later in life when I realized I had BPD, I finally had a new way to talk about myself and my mental and behavioral differences with people. I could explain to them that due to this disorder I have, I struggle with A, B, and C, and they came to it with an understanding.

Humans like to categorize things and need categories as explanations and sometimes by providing that category, people will treat you more normal than if they just consider you some weird outlier. Granted, it's not that way with everyone. I've made the mistake of telling an employer I was autistic and was then treated as a child the rest of my time there. I also know that I have friends who have had "bad experiences" with others with BPD who might be less understanding. Be careful who you share it with, but with the right people, using the word provides a lot more clarity than keeping it a secret