Preview

Borderline Personality Disorder Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1050 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Borderline Personality Disorder Essay
Borderline personality disorder became a recognized disorder in the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR in 1980. Before being given the name BPD, it was thought of as a tamer version of schizophrenia, often times being placed into groups of “As-If’s”, “Borderline Group” or hysteria. Borderline personality disorder is when an individual experiences extreme mood swings, an overwhelming fear of abandonment, dichotomous thinking, erratic interpersonal relationships, paranoia and a constant need for attention. With this being said, BPD usually coincides with many other mental disorders such as self-harm, eating disorders, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. Medical professionals still to this day find the term to be …show more content…
BPD usually occurs with other psychiatry problems such as depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and other personality disorders. It also is a condition where one loses a sense of self. Thus, frequently changing jobs, goals, friendships, and even relationships. People suffering from BPD do not feel like they belong in any group. Being around family and friends can leave them feeling foreign, and uncomfortable. They often feel as though they are “pretending” to be what society expects of them, and as soon as they get home they feel as if they are liars.
Self –harm is common in this disorder. Sufferers often feel as though they need to feel pain physically. Since they feel as if they cannot control their emotions. Cutting is their means of coping and obtaining a sense of control. Anorexia and drug abuse are other common forms of self-harm in this disorder and may sometimes lead to death. Those around persons with BPD may assume that this is all for attention and that they are trying to manipulate the situation, since that is one of their traits. Attention from self-harm is secondary and is something of
…show more content…
Dialectical behavior therapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, therapeutic communities, interpersonal therapies, cognitive-analytic therapy and schema focused cognitive theory have all been found to help BPD patients. Cognitive-analytic therapy and schema focused cognitive therapy are both fairly new and are untested despite being promising. Most of these therapies for BPD have a generally consistent structure and it is in that structure that lies the importance of borderline patients. Researchers are still at odds as to whether long and continuous therapy and a prolonged relationship with a therapist or team negatively affects the patient’s already intense attachments. They have found that through self-observation those with BPD can try to understand where their intense feelings sprouted from than simply stating it was impulsive.
Pharmacological treatments are also another means to assist those with Borderline Personality Disorder. There are no drugs specific to BPD and drugs that are prescribed pertain to associated disorders such as depressive, psychotic, or anxiety disorders. These drugs may include and are not limited to loxapine, haloperidol, and olanzapine. Still, researchers have many unanswered questions and are focused on finding and exploring new or improved ways to help

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    This memoir was written to bring awareness to the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) through one individual’s personal struggle to overcome and recover for the disorder. “Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a condition characterized by difficulties in regulating emotion. This difficulty leads to severe, unstable mood swings, impulsivity and instability, poor self-image and stormy personal relationships” (NAMI…). Along with unstable emotional investigations, the memoir addresses themes of self-destructive behaviors through expressed suicidal thoughts, excessive drug and alcohol usage, and promiscuous sexual behavior, manipulation of others and anorexia nervosa. Among the many themes of this memoir, it highlights the struggles…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) might sound a somewhat less-serious problem or perhaps a disorder that resists being categorized. However, both are stereotypes having strong roots in the disorder's history. Originally, the term "borderline" was used to describe a condition that was thought to "border" between neurotic and psychotic disorders. Its unusual and often confusing symptoms, combined with a lack of information at that time, led to an indistinct use of terminology, and consequently, misconceptions in definition. Since the DSM-III, it has been recognized as a unique type of personality disorder, and fairly recently, much concerning its etiology, course, and treatment has been identified.…

    • 2674 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorder are mood and personality disorder respectively, that have had many challenges amongst psychiatrist in differentiation. Not only does the two disorders share several symptoms and associated impairments, there is also continuing debates in the psychiatric literature about whether the two disorders actually represent different conditions (Hatchet, 2010). The following paper compares and contrasts Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorders and discusses implications of differential diagnosis of the disorders that can lead to long-term effects for the patient due to the fundamentally different treatment each disorder needs.…

    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Self-harming or suicidal behavior is one of the diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder. The suicide rate among people with bpd is between eight to ten percent. Self-harm is common with or without suicidal intent; self-harm can be used as a distraction from emotional pain or for a feeling of control in ones life. Suicide attempts are usually in the belief that others would be better off following ones death.Sexual abuse can be trigger for self-harm and suicidal behavior in adolescents with borderline personality disorder…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Girl Interrupted Analysis

    • 1846 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Girl, Interrupted (1999) directed by James Mangold is largely based on a semi- autobiographical book by the same title. The movie chronicles eighteen year old Susanna Kaysen’s experiences surrounding her stay at a mental institution. It is 1967, a time of social change and unrest. Susanna makes a half-heart attempt at suicide, ingesting a bottle of aspirin and chasing the pills with a bottle of vodka. She is taken to the emergency room, her stomach is pumped and she survives. Afterwards she meets with a psychologist who explores her more recent feelings and experiences. The psychologist concludes, with her parents assent, that she would benefit from a stay at Claymore, a private mental institution. The next year and nine months forever alter her life. When Susana arrives at Claymore, she is immediately introduced to a completely different lifestyle. Her daily schedule comes to include regularly conducted “checks”, sessions with a psychiatrist, and medication. To an outsider the patients seem to individually represent the stereotypical persons one would expect to find in an institution. Susanna’s roommate, Georgina, is a pathological liar. Polly, nicknamed “Torch”, had, as a girl, poured a flammable substance on herself and set herself on fire. Daisy has an eating disorder, an unhealthy, very sexual, relationship with her father and wishes to almost replace her mother in some circumstances. Janet has anorexia and has become addicted to laxatives. Cynthia is a lesbian. Lisa, whom Susanna comes to befriend and at one point seeks to imitate, is a psychopath. To Susanna these girls come to be her friends, support system and alternative, temporary family. Susanna is eventually deemed cured, no longer a threat to herself or others, and allowed to leave. Her stay had given her a better understand of others, altered her perceptions of what is and isn’t “crazy” and allowed for a sense of calmness and security to pervade her life.…

    • 1846 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are a few forms of treatment for borderline personality disorder, one of which is dialectical behavior therapy. DBT is a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment for mental disorders that are typically difficult to treat. It was originally developed to help chronically suicidal individuals, but it evolved into a treatment for multi-disordered individuals with BPD or other behavioral disorders (Dimeff & Linehan, 2001).…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental illness that affects about 75 percent of women during adolescence of…

    • 1833 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness characterized by a repetitive pattern of disorganization and irresolution in self-conception, interpersonal relationships, mood, and demeanor. The instability associated with this disorder is often disruptive to the individual 's personal and professional life, long term goals, and self identity. Webster 's New World Medical Dictionary states, "Distortions in cognition and sense of self can lead to frequent changes in long-term goals, career plans, jobs, friendships, gender identity, and values." According to the Webster 's New World Medical Dictionary, "Originally thought to be at the "borderline" of psychosis, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation." An individual with this disorder may often appear amicable and capable, and he or she is typically highly intelligent. The individual can often maintain this appearance for a number of years until a stressful situation, such as a breakup or a death in the family, causes an emotional collapse. "Sometimes people with BPD view themselves as fundamentally bad, or unworthy. They may feel unfairly misunderstood or mistreated, bored, empty, and have little idea who they are. Such symptoms are most acute when people with BPD feel isolated and lacking in social support, and may result in frantic efforts to avoid being alone." (medterms.com) According to Webster 's New World Medical Dictionary, Borderline Personality Disorder is more common than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, affecting two percent of adults, mostly young women. (medterms.com) "There is a high rate of self-injury without suicide intent, as well as a significant rate of suicide attempts and completed suicide in severe cases. Patients often need extensive mental health services and account for about 20% of psychiatric hospitalizations" (medterms.com).…

    • 1683 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Section 1: Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. Because some people with severe borderline personality disorder have brief psychotic episodes, experts originally thought of this illness as atypical, or borderline, versions of other mental disorders. While mental health experts now generally agree that the name "borderline personality disorder" is misleading, a more accurate term does not exist yet. The symptoms of borderline disorder were first described in the medical literature over 3000 years ago. The disorder has gained increasing visibility over the past three decades. The full spectrum of symptoms of borderline disorder typically first appears in the teenage years and early twenties. Although some children with significant behavioral disturbances may develop readily diagnosable borderline disorder as they get older, it is very difficult to make the diagnosis in children. It is estimated that more than 14 million American adults, distributed equally between men and women, have borderline personality disorder. It is more common than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder: an estimated 11% of outpatients, 20% of psychiatric inpatients and 6% of primary care visits meet the criteria for the disorder. Obtaining an accurate diagnosis can be difficult. As ,ost patients with bipolar disorder go years before receiving an appropriate diagnosis and starting…

    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    People unfamiliar with what they are experiencing or people misdiagnosed, may not know where to find a treatment or may receive the wrong form of treatment. This may be a possible contributing factor as to why the BPD population has such a high rate of suicidality and suicide. Recent statistics show that those with BPD have a suicidality rate as high as 70% and a suicide rate as high as 10% as opposed to those who do not have BPD (Lis, E., Greenfield, B., Henry, M., Guilé, J. M., & Dougherty, G., 2007) (Salters-Pedneault,…

    • 1111 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Incest- Criminal Justice

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages

    ii. Borderline personality disorder: is characterized by splitting (alternating between idealizing and demonizing others) and mood disturbances. Individuals with this disorder are incredibly sensitive to how others treat them and they will engage in self-harm.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Borderline Experience

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Experts believe that there are many more people with undiagnosed BPD, because those with the personality disorder tend to avoid treatment, or are mistreated because they have a co-occurring mental illness or disorder that displays similar symptoms. It doesn’t help that the conversation surrounding BPD remains limited, creating a stigma that often makes a person with BPD feel vilified. David M. Reiss,””, wrote in his published paper titled The Borderline Experience:…

    • 866 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    It is important when deciding on a treatment to make sure you tailor it specifically for that person. A treatment that works for one individual might not always work for the next, so you want to make sure you take the appropriate steps to find out the best form of treatment. It has been shown that borderline personality disorder is a challenge to treat. One type of treatment for BPD is psychotherapy. The key to psychotherapy is to have an intervention that focuses on one of the following domains “affect regulation, behavioral impulse control, cognitive clarification, and dynamic understanding, while also developing more adaptive coping skills to aid symptom remission” (Merced, 2015). The more the therapist makes the patient aware of his or her feelings, the more likely they are able to learn how to tolerate them. Another strategy is “mood monitoring, in which the patient is taught to become more aware of their feelings throughout the day and identify patterns associated with their mood changes” (Merced, 2015). Those who have BPD often struggle with controlling their impulsive behavior. They often act on things that could cause danger or harm. Helping a patient “identify potential dangers and possible courses of action, as well as anticipate potential consequences, is believed to develop more adaptive responses” (Merced, 2015). When it comes to the cognitive…

    • 1714 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The self inflicted injuries are usually painful, but shallow, and done to the surface of the skin. It is done in order to either reduce anxious thoughts, and other feelings of tension, or to be self punishment. It can also be done to experience an immediate sensation or impression of comfort or satisfaction. The individual will partake in the behavior so frequently and with a certain feeling of necessity, that it strongly resembles an addiction. (DSMV). The individual will use instruments such as a sharp knife, razor blade or needle to cut themselves. The most common areas are the tops of thighs, and the inside of the forearm. The cuts made are on the top layer of the skin, usually cut parallel to each other. There are more methods than cutting oneself; it has been recorded that individuals may burn themselves with a lit cigarette butt, or rub their skin with an eraser. (DSMV) There are up to sixteen different recorded methods of self harm (SLIDE) Usually, the higher the number of types of methods the individuals partakes in, the more “sever the psychopathology, including suicidal attempts.” (DSMV) Perhaps one of the most debilitating part of this disorder is that most people who participate in such self harm behaviors do not report it, and do not seek any clinical treatment…

    • 2007 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although there are limited treatments for NPD, such as “unique methods of psychotherapy,” many individuals and their families must still come to terms with this personality disorder. NPD is a unique disorder that deserves more attention than it obtains. “NPD has received only 10% of the number of research papers compared with borderline personality disorder.” (Perry 446) Other disorders receive attention while NPD is neglected. Treatment of NPD is inadequate at best. Further attention and studies could change how we think about NPD. (Perry…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays