Veronica is the founder of Borderline Babe; this is her story. 

Veronica’s ongoing journey with mental health has included battles with anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anorexia and, ultimately, a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) at age 21. She is in ongoing treatment for BPD and suicidal ideation in the Psychiatry High Risk Program (PHRP) at Upstate. Veronica started with the PHRP in June 2022, following her BPD diagnosis. She left the program briefly in December of 2022 but returned in July of 2023. She not only successfully completed the program’s initial year of treatment but saw complete remission of symptoms of all her mental health disorders. Veronica has remained an active patient in the PHRP, utilizing both the long-term maintenance program and the more intensive “booster” therapy interventions to support her ongoing recovery and maintain remission of symptoms. Veronica credits the wonderful people at the PHRP with nothing less than saving her life. In fact, Veronica will be competing in the Miss NY for America Strong Pageant in June 2026, and she will run under the title “Miss Upstate New York” to honor the PHRP staff.

Veronica believes it is her life’s mission to advocate for mental health awareness by sharing her story. Her call to advocacy began in May of 2024, with her regular mental health column, Beautiful, Powerful, Deserving in Rochester Woman Online Magazine (RWO). Love and thanks to Kelly Breuer, owner of RWO, for making that first step possible! Veronica also served on the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder’s (NEABPD) Lived Experience Committee in 2024 and 2025, writing several blog posts for the committee. She has also had the honor of speaking on behalf of the Upstate Foundation and the PHRP at several conferences and presentations.

Outside of her work in mental health advocacy, Veronica is building a rewarding and meaningful professional life. Upon completion of her initial treatment for BPD, she achieved her years-long goal of becoming a licensed medical esthetician. Veronica is continuing her education and will be starting nursing school next year. She plans to go into esthetic nursing, but is also interested in emergency and trauma response, burn care, and psychiatric nursing.

Veronica leads a full, vibrant, and joyful life. She is blessed to be surrounded by a loving and supportive community, and she cherishes many close relationships with family and friends. These days, Veronica is at peace with herself. She finds beauty in the mundane, and is happiest fresh out of the shower, slathered in skincare and dressed in cozy sweats—a homebody who loves to get dressed up, but who hates to go out! Over the years she has cultivated a healthy lifestyle that is supportive of her whole body wellness and continued commitment to recovery.

She’s a morning person to the extreme, who loves early bedtimes—but doesn’t always get them! Exercise is her medicine, and she enjoys cooking and baking healthy foods with fresh, organic, unprocessed ingredients. Someday she’d like to live on a farm, with a huge garden and a crowd of animals. The farm will have to wait, though, because she’s got her hands full with lots of other things - especially Borderline Babe. She hopes you enjoy it!

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