...she makes herself psychologically vulnerable in order to help others.
A beautiful and powerful woman, one lump of energy, honest and inspiring. That's what you see and hear when Marleen Klinkert (37) is speaking. She has guts and by now tells without shame and guilt what she had to deal with in her life: abuse, mistreatment, addiction, depression and suicidal thoughts. Borderline personality disorder is part of her life. That makes her an other-than-others mother who loves going down the slide in the pool ten times in a row. And a person of black and white, no mincing of words, unfiltered and boundless.
After many depression-focused cognitive therapies in the mainstream and just as many relapses, in May 2022 she volunteered for six weeks at U-center, a private mental health and addiction care organization with a holistic approach. Marleen: "In a safe setting, I attended sessions, both individually and in a group. My son, who was staying with a friend and grandmother at the time, called it a 'hell hotel.' It allowed me to be who I am. And the feeling I had always had: 'there is something wrong with me and it's my own fault what happened in my life,' that disappeared."
"There is more to me than the perfect pictures on social media"
Now Marleen has made it her mission to make mental health discussable. She does this by posting on Instagram from her account @mylifewith_. And by giving workshops with her company My Life With Borderline (MLMB). She is also working on an e-book. "My heart is with young people. I want to convey to them that there is more to life than the perfect pictures on social media. Sometimes life just sucks. You're allowed to show that, too."
In the spotlight
On July 26 of this year, Marleen was a guest at De Regenboog Groep's Psychiatry Cafe. Online, she talked there about her life with borderline and answered questions. "I got responses like, 'Respect.' 'Thanks.' 'How brave that you're doing this, because I don't dare.' It was nice to see what I bring about in others. I used to be seen as busy and difficult. Now I accept who I am. I'm extroverted, I like big, and I like to be in the spotlight. But it has to serve a social purpose." She concludes spiritedly and full of ambition, "I want to become the Oprah Winfrey of the Netherlands!"
Text: Iris Stam | Photography: Shantall Rovers
The Psychiatry Café is a monthly social gathering where we talk about psychiatry from our own experiences.