Essay On Borderline Personality Disorder

1005 Words3 Pages

Borderline Personality is a disorder that affects a significantly large percentage of the population with a prevalence rate of up to 5.9%. (DSM, 2000) Out of that percentage about 75% of patients diagnosed with BPD are female. It is an illness that is both misunderstood and given quite a bad stigma. It is difficult to live with and those that have it struggle to maintain personal and business relationships. Even with the high demand for treatment it is a disorder that is hard to treat however when treated can be highly affective. (NIMH) This paper goes into detail on the history, diagnosing, treatment, and effects of Borderline Personality Disorder so that the disorder may better be understood. Borderline Personality disorder (BPT) is defined as “a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and marked impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts.” (DSM, 2000) When diagnosing a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder a doctor must ask the patient numerous questions about his or her history and life. There is a criterion that a patient must have in order to be considered BPD. The patient must experience five or more of the following symptoms. They may go through frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment such as staying solitary or making threats towards themselves in order to guilt loved ones. People with BPD tend to be very sensitive to their environmental circumstances. They may feel anger and anxiety simply from a friend being tardy. (DSM, 2000) The patient’s efforts to avoid abandonment may include the next criterion of participation in repetitive suicidal behaviors such as cutting or suicide threats. Self-mutilation, often being the reason ... ... middle of paper ... ...DBT is very effective, it can be a long and intense process. There is no medication available to treat Borderline Personality Disorder however many people are given medications to treat the symptoms of the disorder such as depression and anxiety. (CIIS) Borderline Personality Disorder is a disorder that is not only high in prevalence but also is very difficult to live with. Many people do not understand nor recognize the necessity in treating people who are living with this disorder. There is only a small amount of options for treatment and medications can only help some of the symptoms. It is a disorder that can make a person feel alone and alienated so it is important for people to understand the difficulties a person living with this disorder may have and for the general population to bring awareness and so that more options can be available to help sufferers.

Open Document