Borderline Personality Disorder Essay

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.

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

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.

binge eating, ex, i saw a snapchat of my ex wih what appears to be anoher girl (new love interest) and i ended up eating half a bag of chips and three pieces of french toast.

(Linehan et. al, 1999; Koons et. al, 2001; & Linehan, Dimeff, Reynolds, Comtois, Welch, Heagerty, et al, 2002). Koons et. al(2001), looked at a sample of twenty women veterans who met the criteria for borderline personality disorder. Half of the women received DBT while the other half received treatment as usual (TAU). According to Koons et. al(2001), "Of the 11 variables patients in DBT changed significantly more than did the patients in TAU on 4 variables(suicidal ideation, hopelessness, Beck depression, and anger out). On 4 others only patients in DBT condition changed significantly..(number of parasuicides, number of hospitalizations, anger in, and dissociation"(p.384). In other words those in DBT showed significant more positive change in 8 of the 11 variables than those patients in TAU. Linehan et. al(1999) did a randomized sample of people diagnosed with BPD and SUD. Half of the sample received DBT while the other half received DBT. 64% of those receiving DBT stayed in treatment while only 27% of patients in TAU stayed. Those in DBT also had significant loss in drug abuse than those who received TAU. Those in DBT compared to those in TAU also had greater increases in social adjustment. Linehan et. al, (2002) did a study on a randomized sample of people diagnosed with BPD and SUD who either

Predisposing factors: Borderline personality disorder is a disorder that is characterized by a persons impulsive and/ reckless behavior, poor self-image, self-injury, emotional fluctuations, unstable relationships. There are links that suggest it could be caused by genetic and environmental factors, but it is still being studied. A person that is part of a community or culture with unstable upbringing can increase the risk for this disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). A childhood with physical and sexual abuse was often linked to people with BPD. It was more-so found to be linked with any neglect as a child (Am J Psychiatry, 1997 ). 6 to 10 million people are affected by borderline personality disorder. 75-90% of people with BPD are women (Borderline Personality Resource Center, 2012).

Introduction: This article discusses the significance of psychotherapy options in treating borderline personality disorder (BPD). Borderline personality is a disorder with a variety of symptoms that can be briefly summarized as instability in mood, thinking, behavior, personal relations, and self-image. Psychotherapy options include cognitive

“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.

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 traits are stated in the work of Hsu (2004) to be such that reveal "characteristics and patterns of an individual's environmental observations, thinking processes, and coping strategies. They exert long-term effects on adaptation and personal identity. The author presents a case study of a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who suffered from suicidal ideation, intense mood swings, all-good/all-bad thinking patterns, and poor job performance." (Hsu, 2004, p.1)

Borderlines have problems with their mood. Their mood is not manic, but alternates between normal and flat to moderate or severe depression (Livesley 150). These individuals also go through periods of intense anger that can interfere with effective social functioning. Persons with borderline personality disorder are very vulnerable, and usually over-react to stress. These individuals usually form unstable and intense 'love-hate' relationships, either a person or situation is "all-good", or if any problems occur, "all-bad'" (Durand 273). "The borderline's anger usually alienates a relationship yet the borderline will make frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment" (Burger 299). People with BPD angrily fear the abandonment of their friend or loved one and have episodic angry outbursts in fear that the person might abandon him or her. Recent research has shown that medications can significantly relieve the suffering of borderline patients when used in combination with psychotherapy (Livesley 145).

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.