Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also (more accurately) known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is characterized by difficult social and personal relationships, a poor self-image, and difficulty managing emotions.
Prevalence
Up to 6% of the population is reported to be affected with BPD in a given year. The male to female ratio of people diagnosed with BPD is 1:3, and it appears to become less common among older people.
The behaviors that characterize BPD typically begin by early adulthood and may be triggered by events considered normal to others. BPD commonly coexists with other conditions such as substance abuse, major depressive disorder, and eating disorders.
Many people with BPD are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed because the symptoms can be confused with those for other personality or mood disorders, especially if a person only talks about a few symptoms rather than all symptoms experienced.
Borderline Personality Disorder vs Bipolar Disorder
Both disorders have symptoms of mood instability, but a marked difference is that the different moods in bipolar disorder can last for months whereas the mood swings in BPD can change within a few hours.
Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder:
The symptoms of BPD include:
Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder:
A full review of all medical history and a medical screening should be done first to rule out any medical issues causes symptoms. A doctor might also ask the person to fill out a questionnaire to assess current thoughts, behavior, and feelings.
The DSM-5 says that for a BPD diagnosis, five of the following must be present:
Self-harming or suicidal behavior occurs in up to 80% of those with BPD, and the most frequent method of self-harm is cutting — with the goal of expressing emotion (particularly anger), self-punishment, and distracting oneself from emotional pain rather than with thoughts of suicide.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can call the Suicide Prevention Hotline and talk for free at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). They can also provide you with information about low-cost clinics and therapists for your depression.
Causes of Borderline Personality Disorder:
The causes of BPD remain unclear, but genetic, biological, environmental, psychological, and social factors have all been implicated.
Research on BPD is focused on examining biological and environmental risk factors, with special attention on whether early symptoms may emerge at a younger age than previously thought. Scientists are also studying ways to identify the disorder earlier in adolescents.
Risk factors for Borderline Personality Disorder:
The lifetime risk of suicide among people with BPD is between 3% and 10%. Men with BPD are approximately twice as likely to die by suicide compared to women with the same condition.
Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder:
Psychotherapy, namely talking therapy, is the first-line of treatment for BPD in order to help them process their emotional reactions and coping skills. Many of the following types of therapy are combined, with a team of mental health professionals working together for the best outcome. This team is possibly made up of a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, and social worker.
Depending on the risk of personal safety or the safety of others, a person with borderline personality disorder can initially be treated at a hospital, a residential treatment center, or a day center before graduating to weekly therapy.
Types of Talk Therapy
All types of therapy require a level of trust. All therapists are human, therefore perfection is unattainable; but all have the same goal of getting a person with BPD back on his or her feet and enjoying life again. Accepting that some aspects of therapy might not be as comfortable as one would like, perseverance and follow-through are key to working through all that’s needed to recover.
Art therapy – helps people to express their thoughts and emotions through creative arts like dance and art.
Self-care – Exercise regularly, eat healthy foods at scheduled mealtimes, get enough scheduled sleep, spend time with friends, enjoy restful activities and hobbies, and avoid alcohol and substance abuse. Finish out all the recommended therapy. Understanding and learning new skills can help significantly in giving one more of a feeling of control in managing the disorder.
Up to half of people with BPD improve over a ten-year period.
Coping – for family members
Medications for Borderline Personality Disorder can include:
There is no medication recommended exclusively for borderline personality disorder, but many of the symptoms can be treated with meds, along with medications the person may be on for coexisting mood or personality disorders.
Because of the suicide risk of people with BPD, medications are prescribed with caution.
Medications that are sometimes helpful are:
Some people, especially adolescents, can react badly to antidepressants and must be monitored carefully in the first few weeks for physical reactions and increased suicidal thoughts.
Some drugs interact badly when combined. Visit https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions to check yours.
Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder:
The symptoms of BPD include:
Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder:
A full review of all medical history and a medical screening should be done first to rule out any medical issues causes symptoms. A doctor might also ask the person to fill out a questionnaire to assess current thoughts, behavior, and feelings.
The DSM-5 says that for a BPD diagnosis, five of the following must be present:
Self-harming or suicidal behavior occurs in up to 80% of those with BPD, and the most frequent method of self-harm is cutting — with the goal of expressing emotion (particularly anger), self-punishment, and distracting oneself from emotional pain rather than with thoughts of suicide.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can call the Suicide Prevention Hotline and talk for free at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). They can also provide you with information about low-cost clinics and therapists for your depression.
Causes of Borderline Personality Disorder:
The causes of BPD remain unclear, but genetic, biological, environmental, psychological, and social factors have all been implicated.
Research on BPD is focused on examining biological and environmental risk factors, with special attention on whether early symptoms may emerge at a younger age than previously thought. Scientists are also studying ways to identify the disorder earlier in adolescents.
Risk factors for Borderline Personality Disorder:
The lifetime risk of suicide among people with BPD is between 3% and 10%. Men with BPD are approximately twice as likely to die by suicide compared to women with the same condition.
Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder:
Psychotherapy, namely talking therapy, is the first-line of treatment for BPD in order to help them process their emotional reactions and coping skills. Many of the following types of therapy are combined, with a team of mental health professionals working together for the best outcome. This team is possibly made up of a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, and social worker.
Depending on the risk of personal safety or the safety of others, a person with borderline personality disorder can initially be treated at a hospital, a residential treatment center, or a day center before graduating to weekly therapy.
Types of Talk Therapy
All types of therapy require a level of trust. All therapists are human, therefore perfection is unattainable; but all have the same goal of getting a person with BPD back on his or her feet and enjoying life again. Accepting that some aspects of therapy might not be as comfortable as one would like, perseverance and follow-through are key to working through all that’s needed to recover.
Art therapy – helps people to express their thoughts and emotions through creative arts like dance and art.
Self-care – Exercise regularly, eat healthy foods at scheduled mealtimes, get enough scheduled sleep, spend time with friends, enjoy restful activities and hobbies, and avoid alcohol and substance abuse. Finish out all the recommended therapy. Understanding and learning new skills can help significantly in giving one more of a feeling of control in managing the disorder.
Up to half of people with BPD improve over a ten-year period.
Coping – for family members
Medications for Borderline Personality Disorder can include:
There is no medication recommended exclusively for borderline personality disorder, but many of the symptoms can be treated with meds, along with medications the person may be on for coexisting mood or personality disorders.
Because of the suicide risk of people with BPD, medications are prescribed with caution.
Medications that are sometimes helpful are:
Some people, especially adolescents, can react badly to antidepressants and must be monitored carefully in the first few weeks for physical reactions and increased suicidal thoughts.
Some drugs interact badly when combined. Visit https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions to check yours.