Being diagnosed with a mental disorder can be devastating, which is why it's important to ask questions and learn as much as possible about the disease. So, what is borderline personality disorder and how is it treated?
This is a mental disorder, which can cause severe bouts of anxiety, depression, or anger, which can range in duration from hours to days at a time. Individuals who suffer from this disorder often have a skewed self-image, and unstable behavior toward others. This can lead to impulsiveness, outbursts, rudeness, and an inability to maintain many personal or romantic relationships.
Borderline personality disorder is a serious disorder which can make it difficult to finish school, or hold down a job. It is more common in women than men, but is not restricted to one gender.
Causes and Symptoms:
The cause of borderline personality disorder varies on a case by case basis. The most common reason for the disorder stems from a history of childhood neglect, as well as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Brain abnormalities, which cause irregularities in natural chemicals that maintain emotional responses can also trigger this disorder. Finally, genetics could play a role as some studies involving siblings have found a common link between mental disorders and biology.
Symptoms include outrageous and impulsive behavior which may be viewed as dangerous to others. Getting into fights, speeding in a car, or taking recreational drugs are common. Another sign is the constant fear of being abandoned or alone, due to issues in the past.
Individuals with borderline personality disorder have trouble empathizing, and are prone to intense, but unstable romantic relationships. They have intense periods of low feelings, such as emptiness and boredom, which can cause suicidal thoughts and behavior to occur. Approximately 80% of sufferers will attempt suicide. Symptoms vary in duration, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.
Long Term Treatment:
Understanding what is borderline personality disorder is crucial in treating it. There is no one known cure, but through long term therapeutic care, individuals who suffer from the disorder can find help. Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy, are commonly used for treatment due to the underlying emotional center of the disorder. These therapeutic approaches help those with borderline personality disorder to have a clearer sense of self, and to hone skills which assist in the control of impulsiveness and intense emotional outbursts.
Family therapy, in which the patient sits in a group setting with family members and a professional therapist to discuss past and present issues, is also an option. This is often particularly useful for those who have abuse histories, which have instigated the disorder.
Medication:
Finally, medication may also be included in the treatment, although it is not suggested as a main method of managing this disorder. In most cases, medicine is prescribed in an effort to treat individual symptoms, such as depression and other irregular emotions. It isn't common, because of the high suicide attempt rate.
If you are wondering what is borderline personality disorder, because you are concerned for yourself or someone you know, speak to your doctor as soon as possible. Early prevention and treatment can help deter suicidal thoughts from progressing.