Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition in which a person has long-term patterns of unstable or explosive emotions. These inner experiences often result in impulsive actions, self-image issues, and chaotic relationships with other people.
Call Nurturing Minds and schedule an appointment with Dr. Nonyerem Rosemary Eneje, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC for a comprehensive evaluation and treatment.
What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder?
Borderline personality disorder causes are unknown. Genetic, family, and social factors are thought to play roles.
Risk factors for BPD include:
- Abandonment in childhood or adolescence
- Disrupted family life
- Poor communication in the family
- Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
Borderline personality disorder tends to occur more often in women and among hospitalized psychiatric patients.
Signs & Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
Persons with BPD are often uncertain about their identity. As a result, their interests and values can change rapidly. They tend to view things in terms of extremes, such as either all good or all bad. Their views of other people can change quickly, for example a person who is looked up to one day may be looked down on the next day. These suddenly shifting feelings often lead to intense and unstable relationships.
Other Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms include:
- Intense fear of being abandoned
- Cannot tolerate being alone
- Frequent feelings of emptiness
- Frequent displays of inappropriate anger
- Impulsive and risky behavior, such as with substance misuse, gambling, binge eating, or sexual relationships
- Repeated crises and acts of self-harm
- Distorted sense of self
BPD has been known to lead to:
- Depression
- Substance use
- Problems with work, family, and social relationships
- Suicideattempts, self-harm, and death by suicide
Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment and Help
Individual talk therapy can successfully treat BPD. In addition, group therapy can sometimes be helpful. In some cases, medications can improve mood states and treat depression or other disorders that may occur with this condition.
The outlook of treatment depends on how severe the condition is and whether the person is willing to accept help. With long-term talk therapy, the person often gradually improves.