Borderline Personality Disorder: What you Need to Know

Personality disorders are mental health disorders where the person’s thinking, behaviour and ways of relating to others are rigid and unhealthy. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the more commonly diagnosed personality disorders, affecting about 2% of the population (although many suggest that the actual number is much higher as it is often misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety). Many people with BDP may not realize they have a personality disorder, because their thoughts, feelings and interpretations of things around them seem so natural, and have been present since a young age. BPD is usually characterized by the inability to interpret and manage emotions, chaotic relationships, self-image issues, and behavioural challenges such as suicidality or self-harm. BPD is also more prevalent among women (75%), although some doctors argue that this is because of the nature of those who seek help.

Signs and Symptoms

Although the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder vary from one person to another, here are some signs and symptoms to look out for:

·      High emotional sensitivity

·      High emotional reactivity (i.e. emotional reactions to environmental triggers are stronger than expected)

·      Slow return to emotional baseline (i.e. emotions are long lasting and difficult to bring down)

·      Chaotic, unstable relationships with others, including push/pull tendencies

·      Suicidality or suicide attempts

·      Self-harm

·      Maladaptive and impulsive coping strategies such as alcohol/drug use, overspending, and other reckless behaviours

·      Fear of abandonment and attempts to avoid abandonment

·      Dissociation from one’s body

·      Poor self-image

·      Chronic emptiness

·      Anger issues

What causes Borderline Personality Disorder?

Although the exact cause is unknown, most professionals and researchers theorize that BPD is likely to be caused by a combination of genetics, social environment, and changes in brain chemistry. Social environment most likely includes an invalidating environment, where the person’s emotional reactions are often ignored, dismissed or challenged by family and friends. Over time, the chronic invalidation leads to the person not being able to trust their own emotions (self-invalidation) ultimately leading to more emotional dysregulation.

Getting Diagnosed

Getting a proper diagnosis can be challenging, especially because of the overlap in symptoms with many other mental health disorders. Generally, a family doctor will not be able to provide a diagnosis, however, can refer you to a professional who can, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. Assessment usually includes an interview where symptoms are discussed at length and a look into family history of medical and mental health issues.

Treatment

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is considered the gold standard for symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT is a type of therapy that helps people replace maladaptive coping skills with new, better skills to manage emotions, relate to others, and tolerate distress. DBT must be delivered by a highly trained, experienced therapist, with access to ongoing supervision. Often, family members are asked to get involved in treatment as well.

Sometimes, a doctor may recommend medications in conjunction with therapy to help manage some of the symptoms.

Therapists at Brookhaven Psychotherapy are trained in delivering DBT for BPD in individual and group settings. As a community of therapists, we operate as a team to delivery high quality care in this area. Contact us today to talk about starting DBT.

Learn more about Dialectical Behaviour Therapy here