Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Psychological Disorders

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS Psychological Disorders Psychological disorders affect thousands of people around the world. These disorders can seriously alter the lives of the people who suffer from these disorders and the lives of those they come in contact with. There are many kinds of psychological disorders. One of these is borderline personality disorder. This paper will examine borderline personality disorder and the symptoms involved in this mental illness. The paper will also discuss the relationship between human development and socialization and how this relationship affects your selected psychological disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental disorder. This mental illness is said to be a disorder of emotion regulation (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). This disorder is characterized by problems with behavior, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and in moods (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). The instability caused by this mental illness can cause problems in work and family life, disrupt a persons sense of self-identity, and make longterm planning difficult (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). Borderline personality disorder is more common than other well known mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Roughly two percent of adults are affected by this disorder and most of those are young women (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). High rates of self-injury and suicide are found among people who suffer from borderline personality disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). Individuals with borderline personality disorder can experience intense episodes of anxiety, depression, and anger (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). These episodes can last from several hours to days and are often associated with episodes of self-injury, impulsive aggression,

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS and alcohol or drug abuse (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). Borderline personality disorder causes distortion in sense of self and in cognition (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). These distortions can lead to frequent changes in values, gender identity, jobs, friendships, and long-term goals (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). People with borderline personality disorder often think they are bad or unworthy and often think they are being unfairly mistreated or misunderstood (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). This leads to feelings of isolation and to a lack in social support. Borderline personality disorder also causes people to have problems in social relationships. They often form intense attachment to

friends, family, and other loves ones but these attachments are often stormy (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). They can have feelings of love and admiration one minute and then have intense anger and dislike the next. These mood swings can cause others to retreat from the relationship. This may eventually leave the person with the mental illness feeling abandoned and lead to suicide attempts (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). People with borderline personality disorder also engage in other impulsive behaviors like eating too much, speeding and risky sexual behavior (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). Borderline personality disorder often occurs together with other psychiatric problems, particularly bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, substance abuse, and other personality disorders (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010, p.4). Human Development and Socialization There are many factors that contribute to borderline personality disorder. Two of these factors are human development and socialization. Human development refers to the changes a person goes through across a life span (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). These changes include physical changes, psychological changes, and changes in social behavior (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Socialization can

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS be defined as a process in which people enter a particular culture and are able to inherit the

beliefs and values of that culture (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Human development and socialization are related in several ways. Both human development and socialization involve a change in a persons behavior. Human development involves changes in social behavior and so does socialization. Both human development and socialization are lifelong processes. They both include transitions, conversions that are long-term, changes in direction, and delays and accelerations (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). In children, both development and socialization are dependent on interactions, the roles they play, and the places they spend time in (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Bipolar Disorder, Development, and Socialization There is also a relationship between development, socialization, and borderline personality disorder. One of the most important factors involved in socialization is family. A persons family has considerable bearings on the values and orientations children learn. This can have an effect on the development of borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is linked to the experiences that a person has during childhood. These experiences include physical and sexual abuse, emotional or physical neglect, and early separation from caregivers, emotional abuse, and parental insensitivity (Salters-Pedneault, 2008). There is also a relationship between development and borderline personality disorder. This disorder is known to run in families pointing to possible genetic link to borderline personality disorder. It is widely believed that both environment and genetics play a significant role in the development of this disorder (SaltersPedneault, 2008).

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS Conclusion

Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness that affects many people every day. This disorder is characterized by problems with emotion regulation. Research has found two prominent factors in the development of borderline personality disorder: environment and heredity. Human development and socialization can be directly linked to this disorder, because of the factors that are involved in the development of this mental illness.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS References National Institute of Mental Health, (2010). Borderline personality disorder. Retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/borderline-personality-disorder-factsheet/index.shtml Salters-Pedneault, K., (2008). An introduction to borderline personality disorder causes. Retrieved from: http://bpd.about.com/ od/causesofbpd/a/CausesBPD.htm Shiraev, E.B. & Levy, D.A. (2010). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications. (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn Bacon