Borderline Personality Disorder (NPD)

When instructed to write a 3-5 page paper over a psychological disorder I wondered to myself what disorder could I do to interest me enough to take so much time to look into. What one disorder would I have to force myself to research and write about that would not be completely painful? This is when I decided to write my paper over the Borderline Personality Disorder, the disorder Mrs. Kline refers to as the crazy girlfriend disorder which fits the disorder a lot better. This disorder grabbed my attention because I’m interested in what causes one to become so obsessive in such a short time span. In this research paper I will inform you about what can cause this disorder, what symptoms and actions are made by the ones affected by this disorder, and the treatment that reduces the symptoms.

Borderline personality disorder "is defined in the DSM IV, a manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose all mental disorders, as an AXIS II disorder which has symptoms of impulsively and emotional dysregulation" (Livesley 146). A person with BPD have feelings of abandonment and emptiness, and have "frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, going to extremes to keep someone from leaving" (Burger 300). He or she is emotionally unstable and forms intense but unstable interpersonal relationships. They show impulsive behavior, such as spending money, sex, eating and substance abuse. Borderlines engage in self-manipulating behaviors and recurrent suicide attempts and thoughts.

The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual describes personality disorders as being a pattern of enduring behavior and internal experiences that tends to digress a significant amount from the individual’s cultural and societal standards (Sadock, Kaplan & Sadock, 2015). This personality disorder is diagnosed in the presence of grandiosity and the need to be admired and appreciated. There is a chronic lack of empathy as well as inflated self-esteem and the belief that one is entitled to the adoration of others. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is classified under Cluster B, showcasing more erratic and emotional behavior which can be seen in the film American Psycho.

A personality disorder is characterized by a distinct pattern of behavior that does not meet normal standards of behavior within one’s culture. This pattern is ingrained as the norm to the person affected, and the characteristics of the affected person deviate markedly from societal standards (Hebblethwaite, 2009). The two main features that help to identify a personality disorder are chronic interpersonal difficulties and persons with one’s identity or sense of self (Livesly, 2001). Within this set of mental health disorders lie several other subsets, including one of the most prominent personality disorders - Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is a severe, long-lasting disorder that has an incidence of occurrence approximately equal to that of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia combined (Grant, Chou, Goldstein et al., 2008). BPD also puts those affected at risk for damage in many areas of their life if not properly diagnosed and treated, including personal relationships, school, work, and self-imagine. Furthermore, this disorder has a high co-morbidity with other disorders such as depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and social phobia, among many more (Hebblethwaite, 2009). Misdiagnosis of borderline personality disorder can have serious clinical implications. This paper looks to identify the risk factors associated with BPD, the affects on various aspects of the person’s life, treatments, and give recommendations as to how to properly identify and

Key factors of this diagnosis include the definition of a personality disorder: a persistent pattern of maladaptive behavior that causes dysfunction in relationships or at work. NPD is also very common is serial killers. Other characteristics of this diagnosis include: requiring constant admiration, having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others, and also behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental disorder characterized by instability in mood, impulsiveness, unstable relationships, and chronic emptiness. Borderline Personality Disorder affects approximately two percent of the population, and is predominately found in women. This disorder makes it difficult for people to understand social norms and the dynamics of relationships, so unpredictable and erratic behavior are common. Although Borderline Personality Disorder is incurable, it is treatable through talk therapy and medication. (Friedel, 2004, p. 2)

Someone with narcissistic personality disorder would show an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with being admired, and a lack of empathy for the feelings of others (Hooley, p.349). Many studies support the fact that narcissism has two sub types: grandiose and vulnerable narcissism (cain et al.,2008; Ronningstam, 2005, 2012). The grandiose sub-type is manifested by traits related to grandiosity, aggression, and dominance. They usually overestimate their abilities and accomplishments and underestimate the abilities and accomplishments of others. They feel entitled, behave in stereotypical ways, and often think they can only be understood by those of

The main feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and emotions. People with borderline personality disorder are also usually very impulsive.

“Personality disorders have been documented in approximately 9 percent of the general U.S. population” (Angstman, Rasmussen, 2011). Emotional dysregulation disorder or its common name borderline personality disorder is a very serious and chronic disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) describes borderline personality disorder as “a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity that begins by early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts” (Gardner, 2006). Within the last 20 years, psychologists and other mental health professionals have made tremendous strides in research on what exactly borderline personality disorder, some of its triggers and possible effective treatment options. Borderline personality disorder is defined as a disorder that generates severe emotional instability which can be a springboard that can lead to other stress induced mental and behavioral problems.

To those who have a narcissistic personality disorder, they may come across as arrogant, egotistical or snobbish. They often dominate conversations. They may belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior. They may feel a sense of entitlement and when they do not receive special treatment, they may become impatient or angry. They may insist on having "the best" of everything for example, the best car, athletic club or medical care. At the same time, they have trouble handling anything that relates to criticism. They may have secret feelings of anxiety, disgrace, and embarrassment. To feel better, they may react with rage or contempt and try to degrade the other person to make themselves appear superior. On the other hand, they may feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection. For example, symptoms to look out for in someone you know or in yourself would be, someone having an amplified sense of self-importance or blowing your achievements and talents out of proportion. Being absent-minded with dreams about accomplishments, power, intelligence,

Though several personality disorders are highly complex and a challenge to treat, there are effective treatments available (“Treating Borderline” 1). The various treatments are broken down by method, the first of which being cognitive behavioral therapy, which attempts to alter the conscious thoughts and behavioral patterns of patients (Daniel); (“Treating Borderline” 2). Cognitive behavior therapy itself is broken down into two therapies, dialectical behavioral therapy and schema-focused therapy (“Treating Borderline” 2). Dialectical behavioral therapy, developed by Dr. Linehan, is centered on the basis that personality disorders are formed when hypersensitive patients are in situations which lack the emotional support they require, therefore leading to their “inability to regulate emotions” (“Treating Borderline” 2). Thus, the treatment serves to help the patient gain control over their emotion and behavior (“Treating Borderline” 2). The treatment itself consists of group and individual sessions and typically lasts approximately one year (“Treating Borderline” 2). During the group sessions, patients learn to become more aware of their behaviors and emotions through sessions pertaining to “problem solving, mindfulness meditation, and breath training“(“Treating Borderline” 2). In personal sessions, referred to as psychotherapy, the psychiatrist explains to the patient how the lessons from the group therapy sessions are applicable

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 '.

Although narcissistic personality disorder is very common among individuals, accompanied by deficiencies in functioning and social abandonment, and often associated with other disorders, the least amount of research has been conducted on this particular

These sorts of therapies only require client and therapist sessions compared to other technical treatments. Other than that, cognitive behavioural therapies alter behaviours as intended and this indirectly decreases unfavoured acts such as self-mutilating. Moving on the cons, firstly, cognitive behavioural therapies fail to identify the complexities of disorders and eventually misdiagnose them. The cognitive behavioural therapy attempts to understand a patient by exploring their personal experiences or events which is inadequate in dealing with patients facing BPD. Secondly, the complexity of the human mind is vast and is difficult to be comprehended by another human being especially when unconscious experienced and thoughts are taken into consideration (Oldham et al., 2010). According to Kennard (2014), disorders are complex and it is impossible to be explored in patient-therapist sessions and is also prone to biasness. Thirdly, a concept of object relations and ego is not found in behavioural theories at its main focus is behaviour. Disorders which are clearly diagnosed are not the concern whereas personality disorders portray almost similar criteria’s. Cognitive behaviourists who lack the knowledge in weighing out distinguishable criteria are prone to making diagnostic errors which may impact patients in various aspects. According to Westen (1991), less experienced clinicians handling disorders such as BPD tend to misdiagnose and realise a stagnancy of the disorder without any improvement due to wrong treatment approaches which was the cause of

In all the years I’ve spent with a person with NPD - the years dating him, and then a marriage that lasted just over a decade - I have never seen him feel bad or ashamed of anything. There was never any self-reflection that led to bettering himself. The bit of self-reflection I did see, was normally for the benefit of others - he’d use this to gain sympathy, to appear vulnerable and ultimately to manipulate.