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Borderline Personality Disorder

Rachel N. Rosiere

Northern Oklahoma College

 Borderline Personality Disorder

Many people have an arrangement of emotions. Commonly controlled by the situation

they are currently in. Imagine having no control of those functions, imagine having problems

functioning in simple, little tasks, brought forth in everyday life. Distorting self images, unstable

relationships, going from one emotion to the next, on an extreme scale. These are all very

common in someone suffering from the mental health disorder, borderline personality. People

with this disorder often have an extreme fear of abandonment, as well as being alone seems to be

intolerable. Although the capability of having loving and lasting relationships is there, it is

common that people are often pushed away. People with borderline personality disorder also

have high rates of co-occurring mental disorders, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and

eating disorders, along with substance abuse, self harm, suicidal thinking as well as suicidal

behavior, and suicide itself. ("NIMH)

Signs and symptoms of this disorder are many. Commonly with BPD mood swings and

uncertainty about who they are regularly experienced. (NIMH) The things that commonly

interest you are the values and morals you have grown to know and accept can and will change

quickly and regularly. Things that may seem normal to some people could easily trigger

symptoms of BPD. Small separations in a seeming normal situation for other people such as

vacations or a swift change in plans could also cause a negative reaction. People with the

disorder BPD are known to react strongly to words as well, anything with a negative meaning

could cause immediate anger. Other symptoms include avoidance of real or imagined

abandonment, intense, unstable relationships swinging from extreme love to extreme dislike,
distorted self image, dangerous behaviors, suicidal behavior, swift mood changes, intense anger,

paranoia, and finally, severe dissociative symptoms. (NIMH)

According to researchers the causes of this disorder are unknown and not fully

understood. Other than environmental factors such as child abuse and neglect BPD can also be

linked to genetics and brain abnormalities. Brain abnormalities can include the area of the brain

involved in emotion regulation, impulsivity, and aggression. Certain chemicals in our brain, like

serotonin may not function properly. (Mayo Clinic). Some studies have shown that people with

BPD can strongly be associated with other mental disorders among family. (mayo clinic).

Environmentally, traumatic events, such as abuse or abandonment, unstable relationships, hostile

conflicts, can all also be related to someone suffering from BPD. (NIMH). It can also be shown

that people who have suffered traumatic life events do not have BPD.

The treatment and therapy for people suffering from BPD can be very difficult to treat.

Commonly the biggest problem faced is the length of time it takes to treat the disorder. People

with BPD can recover. Support through this is a huge factor in the process of healing, suicide

and self harm are at a high rate for this disorder.

Psychotherapy used to treat BPD include Cognitive behavior therapy (CBD), Dialectical

behavior therapy (DBT), and Schema- Focused therapy. All very effective. CBD typically focus

on the on people who have an inaccurate perception of themselves or others, or problems with

interaction. The goal with this therapy is to change the core beliefs. This allows a reduce a range

of mood and anxiety symptoms. (Mayo clinic). DBT therapy allows help to people have trouble

focusing on their current mood or their current situation. People who often have trouble

tolerating stress and controlling his and her emotions. Schema Focused therapy, the idea of this
therapy is based off the idea that people suffering from BPD have a distorted self image, most

likely occurring from events as a child. It is believed that people who went through a great deal

of stress or negative experiences often affect how they react to their environment, interact with

others and cope with problems and stress. (NIMH). In most cases of BPD it is asked that the

family also attend therapy. This could be very beneficial. Relatives often unknowingly worse the

disease.

Ongoing research is happening to try and better diagnose people suffering from this

disorder. Right now the main focus is to not only go off of the observable behavior but to also try

and identify with people on a more personal level. Understanding how one views themselves and

others is crucial. Right now there is no cure for this disorder but a continuing research will

happen until this disorder and better understood and able to be treated.
 References

"NIMH Home." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d.

Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

"Borderline Personality Disorder." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Www.madriverweb.com. "Personality Disorders Institute." Transference-Focused Psychotherapy

Research from the Personality Disorders Institute, Borderline Disorders, Psychiatry, Mental Health.

N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.