Doja Cat went to social media on Friday to talk candidly about her mental health. The 30-year-old musician told her followers on TikTok that she has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
“I’m now struggling with BPD,” Doja Cat said in her TikTok video. “I don’t know how long I’ve been. I mean, probably forever. It’s an agonizing condition.”
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♬ original sound – Doja Cat
What is borderline personality disorder?
BPD is defined as a personality disorder that includes behaviors such as mood swings, impulsiveness, abandonment fears, per the Mayo Clinic. People with BPD struggle to function properly in everyday life as they excessively worry about how they feel about themselves and others. The mental health condition involves extreme emotions, and it can cause unstable relationships. Although people with BPD usually have a desire to have stable relationships, they may struggle to express themselves due to fear of abandonment. BPD often starts in early adulthood, but some of the symptoms may improve over time.
What did Doja Cat say about her struggle with BPD?
Like many other people who are living with BPD, Doja Cat said she had unusual patterns in her behavior since she was very young.
“I’ve learned from a very young age to pretend that I like stuff, to pretend that I’m happy, to pretend that I don’t like stuff that I do, to appear like everything is okay,” Doja Cat said on TikTok. “I’ll get it done. And it caught up with me, and I think it always does for people. I’m now struggling with BPD.”
The “Say So” singer said she has been “struggling” with the condition for “probably forever,” and it has been “agonizing,” but it’s curable.
“I’ve been in therapy for years now, and I am so relieved and so proud of myself. I’ve made it so far, and I still make mistakes,” Doja Cat said, adding that the process has been about “treatment and healing.”
Doja Cat said she can now relate to singer Chappell Roan, who recently faced public criticism for pushing back against the paparazzi during Paris Fashion Week, per Entertainment Weekly. Doja Cat said she loves Roan’s ability to show she “can be uncomfortable, comfortably in front of people, and protect herself and be honest.”
“I love that she can do that without hurting people,” Doja Cat said. “She hasn’t hurt one person by being herself, and that shows that I can do the same.”