Borderline Personality Disorder: What is It?

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a chronic or on going, debilitating biological disorder, that affects the limbic system of the brain. The limbic system is the area of the brain that controls our emotions; therefore, BPD is also referred to as emotional regulation disorder or ERD.

Causes

One theory is that those with borderline personality disorder are born with an innate biological tendency to react more intensely to lower levels of stress and take longer recovering. They peak higher emotionally on less provocation and take longer coming down. Usually raised in an environment where their beliefs about themselves as well as the environment they lived in was constantly devalued or invalidated. These joining factors create adults who are uncertain about their true feelings or true self .

Symptoms

� A pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, their own self-image and their emotions.

� Impulsive (spending, sex, drugs, reckless driving etc.)

� Always makes every effort to avoid abandonment (their perception of impending separation or rejection) some will go as far as to self-mutilate or even suicide.

� In relationships, will go between idealization and devaluation without warning
(In the beginning, they will want to spend an enormous amount of time with you, later, will switch to devaluing you, feeling you do not care enough, give enough or not there for him/her enough )

� Inappropriate, intense or the inability to control anger

� Feelings of irritability, anxiety and general emptiness

Theses are but a few symptoms of BPD, please consult a trained professional if you suspect you or a loved one may be affected.

BPD and those they love

It is true that ones with borderline personality disorder (BPD) hurt those they love the most. This does not mean that a person with BPD is a bad person, it simply means they have a medical illness, yet should still be responsible for their behavior. If in a marriage you have to acknowledge the fact that you cannot make your mate seek out help, he/she has to want to get help. Where does this leave you? At this point, you have to learn how to start focusing on yourself, if you need help dealing with your mate get it. The major decision you would have to make is whether you can deal with your mate’s illness long term if he/she refuses to get treatment.

Treatment

Psychotherapy is definitely needed in the treatment of one suffering from BPD. In the beginning stages of treatment, medication is also needed to help with some of the symptoms of BPD. Psychotherapy is needed to help the patient learn new coping skills, emotion regulation and how to deal with any other changes that may occur in their lives. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice in helping the patient to overcome borderline personality disorder.