A Short Story on Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder that often causes problems with emotional stability, relationships with friends or family, and poor self images (Nairne, 2014). Emotional dysregulation is a person’s inability to control their emotions for example; a person will be happy for a period of time and then suddenly burst out into uncontrollable anger. People with BPD have a difficult time maintaining relationships and jobs because those sudden mood swings drive people away; as a result they are often lonely. The poor self image is also a very important part of the disorder because it drives people to do something they wouldn’t normally do. There have been advances to change the name of BPD to Emotion dysregulation

Psychiatric research on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has increased in popularity over the past few decades. It was included into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (Third Edition) in 1980. Over the years, professionals have found dramatically effective treatments for a disorder that was once considered disabling. Even though Borderline Personality Disorder can be hard to treat, it’s usually comorbid with other disorders like depression and anxiety. Throughout this paper, I will be focusing on background information, symptoms, and treatments of Borderline Personality Disorder.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can be described in simple terms as a condition in which sufferers experience long periods of emotional instability and troubled feelings about themselves and other people. These troubled feelings allow individuals to take impulsive measures and have trouble in their relationships (Bouchard, Sabourin, Lussier & Villeneuve, 2009). BPD basically comprises of unusual intensities of instability in mood and irrational thinking also referred to as splitting. Splitting in BPD involves a switch between negative perception of others and idealization (Sperry, 2003). This usually occurs along with irregular mood swings and can negatively impact on the existing relationships such as family,

When someone thinks mental illness and disorders, most people have problems identifying and differentiating many of them. Such as Bipolar Disorder and (BPD) Borderline Personality Disorder. Although, similar in (emotional states) they certainly have dissimilarities also.

Katie Young is a 15 year old Caucasian female that was referred to my agency from the Virginia Family Assessment Planning Team and Colonial Behavioral Health due to the issues of stability with the intensive in home services. Her family history consists of rapid cycling Bipolar Disorder. Along with the bipolar II disorder, Katie suffers from PTSD that includes panic attacks 1-2 times per week, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, high reactivity to being touched by others and trauma echoes regarding interaction with staff at school. She attends a school that is supposed to use behavior interventions with children with emotional disabilities. She has had an IEP on file since the age of 7 for ADHD and mood related needs. She is unfortunately uninformed of how to return to the public school in her city of residence or her current grade, which is possibly the 9th or 10th.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is often associated with internalized aggressions that manifest in suicidal behaviors or self-mutilation, but can result in impulsive, externalized aggression. When the impulsivity and aggression associated with Borderline Personality Disorder becomes externalized towards others is when it can often also result in violent crimes such as domestic violence, property damage, homicide, rape, etc. Borderline Personality Disorder affects between 1-2% of the general population but can be seen to affect around 30% of inmates. In addition, it has been seen that those with antisocial personality also have borderline personality, close to 57% of offenders who have a diagnosis of borderline personality also meet the

9.6 percent of the United States population have a mental disorder and 1.6 percent have borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness that shows symtoms of not being able to regulate emotional responses and moods, impacting self image, relationships and behavior (National Institute of Mental Health,2016). The National Institute of Mental Health states that borderline personality disorder is experienced in a person when they are overwhelmed with emotions in the cognitive functioning. Symptoms of a person with borderline personality disorder could include explosive amount of anger, depression, and anxiety. People with borderline personality disorder could also have other mental disorders such as mood

Family studies have demonstrated that first-degree relatives of borderlines are five times more likely to also fulfill the BPD diagnosis that the general public. Family members of borderlines also are more likely to be diagnosed with related illnesses, especially substances abuse, affective disorders, and antisocial personality disorder. Undoubtedly, genetic contributions- modified by environmental influences- to the development of BPD are dependent on multiple factors and probably engage multiple chromosomal loci (Kreisman, 2004, p. 14).

The diagnostic process for personality disorders currently covers a broad scope of various tests and symptoms, causing a source of frustration for psychiatrists (Aldhous). The symptoms and side effects of several personality disorders can tend to blur together, making diagnosis challenging (Aldhous). Most psychiatric patients are diagnosed with several personality disorders at once, with twenty percent of people with personality disorders simply diagnosed with a “personality disorder not otherwise specified” (Aldhous). Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, commonly referred to as the DSM, psychiatrists attempt with great difficulty to categorize their patients into a specific disorder, only to diagnose

Personality disorders are very defined and recognized in today’s society. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides common language and standards classifying mental disorders. The DSM is used by many people in varying disciplines in the USA as well as many other countries. In times past, people with disorders may have been outcast from a community or even persecuted. However, in our current culture the pendulum has swung in the other direction. It almost seems that there is a trend to explain all behavior by a mental disorder. This results in needing to disprove that certain people are not displaying a disorder, rather acting within a normal human emotion or

This article will examine the benefit and indications of applying one of a contemporary organized psychological theory to a patient that the writer has already worked with as a summative case study. A brief history of the patient ailment which is borderline personality disorder (BPD) will be discussed as well as treatment plan and choices in accordance with a chosen psychotherapy (mentalisation base therapy MBT). The author will legitimize the purpose behind the chosen treatment and conclude his discussion. For Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC, 2012) policy on confidentiality, the patient under discussion will allude to as 'K '.

According to the DSM-5, Personality Disorders are characterized by “impairments in personality functioning and the presence of pathological personality traits”. Borderline Personality Disorder is one of ten personality disorders listed in the DSM-5. The DSM-5 lists several criteria that must be met in order for someone to be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. They are quoted as follows:

The history of BPD can be traced back to 1938 when Adolph Stern first described the symptoms of the disorder as neither being psychotic nor psychoneurotic; hence, the term ‘borderline’ was introduced (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2009, p. 15). Then in 1960, Otto Kernberg coined the term ‘borderline personality organization’ to describe persistent patterns of behavior and functioning consisting of instability, and distressed psychological self-organization (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2009, p. 15).

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by fluctuation of self-image, lack of stable interpersonal relationships and pronounced and unpredictable impulsivity. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (2013) also lists fear of abandonment, suicidal or self-harming behaviors, intense or inappropriate anger that is difficult to control as well as paranoid ideation or dissociative symptoms. Morcos and Morcos (2016) wrote that patients with BPD are often misdiagnosed with other trauma related disorders, such as PTSD, depression or bipolar disorder. According to Beatson, et al. (2016) there are additional issues in diagnosing older patients, as the criteria indicates that symptoms would have been seen early in the patient’s life, not later. Beatson, et al. (2016) also noted that there is a considerable lack of studies and literature concerning BPD in older patients, making the diagnostic process more difficult. In this case study we will be working with an older patient, one that was well into midlife before Borderline Personality Disorder was included in the DSM, to see if she fits the criteria for BPD and what treatment options might be available.

Over the past few units, I have greatly expanded my knowledge about several different psychological topics. Though many of the topics that were discussed sparked my interest, there were two types of disorders that furthered my knowledge, but also eliminated some stereotypes that I had about them. The two main areas that I learned more about regarding these disorders were characteristics of the disorders and different methods of treatment. A common theme that has been discussed in multiple different units is that several psychological disorders can have similar symptoms and characteristics. It is crucial to understand what makes one psychological disorder different than another one. Determining what type of disorders an individual might have can lead to better and more accurate treatment options; treatments methods are important because they help individuals manage their disorders. The two disorders that I found to be the most important and most interesting are borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia.