Borderline Personality Disorder: Quick Facts and Next Steps
What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)?
BPD is a mental health diagnosis that causes a person to experience emotions in the extreme, often making it difficult to regulate the emotions. The loss of emotional control increases impulsivity, affects self-esteem, and negatively impacts relationships. BPD is one of 10 personality disorders identified in the DSM-5-TR.
What are specific symptoms and/or criteria?
Emotional instability: Intense and rapid mood swings, often within the same day or hour.
Fear of abandonment: An intense fear of abandonment or perceived abandonment, leading to desperate efforts to avoid it.
Impulsivity: Reckless or impulsive behaviors, such as spending sprees, substance abuse, or unsafe sex.
Self-harm: Engaging in self-harm behaviors, such as cutting, burning, or bruising.
Suicidal ideation: Recurrent thoughts of suicide or suicidal behaviors.
Distorted self-image: An unstable sense of self, with frequent changes in identity and/or values, often based on those around you.
Interpersonal difficulties: Difficulty maintaining healthy relationships due to intense emotions, fear of abandonment, and impulsive behaviors.
Chronic feelings of emptiness: A persistent feeling of emptiness or void inside.
Paranoid or dissociative symptoms: Brief episodes of paranoia or dissociation, such as feeling like someone is out to get them or experiencing hallucinations.
What causes borderline personality disorder?
BPD may have many causes. These could include genetics, brain abnormalities, and/or environmental factors. Since there is such a variety in suspected risk factors, it is hard to determine who will develop BPD.
Genetics: Research suggests that BPD may be an inherited condition or, at the very least, linked to other mental health diagnoses among family members.
Brain Abnormalities: When specific chemicals in the brain that are responsible for mood regulation do not function properly, there are visible changes related to aggression, difficulty regulating urges, and depression.
Environmental Factors: Adversity in childhood such as abuse, neglect, and trauma are contributing factors.
Is borderline personality disorder co-occuring?
Yes! Many people you are diagnosed with BPD often experience other conditions including:
Depression
Anxiety disorders
Eating disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Bipolar disorder
Substance use disorder
How is borderline personality disorder diagnosed?
BPD is a complex condition that doesn’t present itself the same way in every person. Many mental and psychological disorders have similar symptoms, so it’s important to see a licensed mental health professional for an assessment and the right diagnosis.
How common is borderline personality disorder?
Estimates range from 1.4%-2.7% in the general population and 12%-22% amount inpatient and outpatient hospital settings. Certain groups have higher prevalence of BPD including females, those with a history of trauma, and those with other mental health diagnoses.
How is borderline personality disorder treated?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: DBT teaches skills including mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: CBT helps identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns that can affect behaviors.
Medication: While there are no specific medication to treat the core symptoms of BPD, mood stabilizers and antidepressants may help with mood swings and feelings of sadness.
Group support: Participating in group therapy or support groups can assisted in providing additional support and understanding.
Now what?
Bettendorf Counseling Center offers DBT individually and in group settings. Contact the office for more details!
