Children 's Self Perception : Behavioral Characteristics

Most patients of borderline personality disorder suffer from problems regulating emotions and thoughts, impulsive and reckless behavior, and unstable relationships with other people. People with this disorder have high rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Oftentimes, it leads to self-harm, and suicidal behaviors.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Defined by the website www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com, “Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness that causes unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. It usually begins during adolescence or early adulthood.” One may wonder what can be the cause of this disorder. BPD can be detected by an in-person interview about the symptoms that are occurring. The input from family and close friends of the individual that is being treated can also help detect the symptoms. The causes for BPD are not fully

She also recounts a troubled childhood that might have aided in the development of this disorder, especially with a fear of abandonement (Should I live or Die, Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder, 2004). Some studies suggest that genetics are what play a role in disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder, another possible cause of the disorder is a brain abnormality, “changes in certain areas of the brain involved in emotion regulation, impulsivity and aggression. In addition, certain brain chemicals that help regulate mood, such as serotonin, may not function properly (Borderline Personailty Disorder, Mayo

What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Is heredity the cause or is it a person’s surrounding environment? What are its effects? Are there any treatments available for it? Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD is a serious illness that causes a person to experience instability in moods, exhibit impulsive, quite often aggressive, behavior and creates severe self-worth issues. BPD is usually not a “stand alone” illness and typically is accompanied by other disorders such as Dysthymia, Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse. Although BPD can be extremely dangerous to those affected by it and those surrounded by them, it is quite often not given enough attention or taken as serious as it should be. As well, BPD is commonly misdiagnosed as

As the child grows up, bipolar disorder may affect the size, shape, and function of the brain. Experts believe bipolar disorder is partly caused when brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are unbalanced. Humans have three chemicals in their brain called noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. Noradrenaline and serotonin have been known to link to psychiatric mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Dopamine has to do with the pleasure system of the brain. Disruption to the dopamine system is connected to psychosis and schizophrenia, two mental disorders characterized by distortions in reality and illogical thought patterns and behaviors.

Children and adolescents with low self-esteem are more likely to have problems with peers (Hymal et al., 1990). Furthermore, they are more prone to psychological

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental health disorder that cause changes in the mood and behavior of a person. According to www.mhhe.com, traits of BPD would be “self-destruction behaviors, fear of abandonment, and mood shifts.” People suffering from BPD has symptoms and problem with regulating emotions (intense mood swings), low self-worth, aggressive behavior, and a fear of abandonment (being left behind). It has been found that BPD has vague symptoms that is based on a wide collection. The cause of BPD are not well understood, but some psychoanalytic believe the symptoms come from poor care taking during childhood.

However, some of the factors that we can look at that helps triggers this disease is Hormone, Inherited traits, Environments, Neurotransmitters, and Biological differences. Thus looking at each of these factors individually you can see how hormone plays a role by the imbalanced of hormone, inherited traits can be looked at as people who have a blood relative (such as a parent) with the condition. And how the environment contributes to this disorder is the surroundings the individual might live in where they might face abuse, stress, or traumatic experiences, therefore what can be a main factor is the this disorder is the neurotransmitters in the individual brain where there is an imbalance in naturally occurring brain chemicals that plays a

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders, with a 12-month prevalence of 6.7% of adults in the United States (NIMH). There is no definite etiology of depression, but several risk factors have been identified. Functional and structural changes in the brain have also been explored. The most common treatment for depression is the use of drugs that act on monoamine transmitters, including norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Decreases in these transmitters, especially serotonin, were hypothesized to play an important role in the cause of depression (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). The serotonin hypothesis led to the development of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. Further research suggests that the serotonin hypothesis is not entirely accurate and the neurobiology of depression is much more complex. The “chemical imbalance” explanation of depression may not reflect the full range of causes and may be given greater credibility by patients and doctors than is supported by evidence based research.

Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness marked by a pattern of emotional instability, impulsive behavior, distorted self-image, and unstable relationships.

Borderline Personality Disorder is thought to be caused by life events, although there is thought to be a pre-disposition to the disorder in the first place.

(3) While successful drug therapies which act on neurotransmitters in the brain imply that depression is a neurobiological condition (4), the fact that such medications do not help about 20 percent of depression-sufferers seems to show that not all depression is due to such imbalances. Rather, depression is not caused by one single factor; it is most often caused by many different things. Genetics, biochemical factors, medicines and alcohol, developmental and other external factors, and relationships, marriage and children all have effect on the development of clinical depression. (5) The strongest hypotheses on the pathways to depression are in decreases in the activity of specific neurotransmitters, or the overactivity of certain hormonal systems. (3)

A child’s sense of self as separate from the world is formulated early in development. Children exposed to early trauma, especially by a primary care giver, develop a distorted sense of the self, others, and the world. When exposed to trauma, children become overwhelmed and are unable to effectively self-regulate thus leading to a disjointed sense of self. They have a tendency to lose hope and expect that life will be dangerous thus challenging their ability to survive (Terr, 1992). Survival becomes the predominant drive for children exposed to trauma and their focus becomes toward responding and adapting to a potentially threatening environment. Feelings of trust and the sense of self become compromised as resources are allocated toward coping with threats. Traumatized children experience guilt and low self-esteem and perceive themselves as unlovable and unworthy of protection or love (Johnson, 1985, 1987).

Another imbalance that often causes biological depression is amine imbalance. Amines are the neurotransmitters that float in the synapse between two nerve cells in the brain (Smith 3). The key amines are serotonin and norepinephrine. When there is a decrease in the levels of these neurotransmitters, depression often occurs.

Abstract: This paper will discuss the causes and psychological impact of borderline personality disorder. It will also talk about how to treat those impacted by borderline personality disorder.