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 has feelings of abandonment and emptiness, and has "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. "Their behavior can be seen as maladaptive methods of coping with constant emotional pain" (Livesley 144). "Personality includes those aspects of a person's thinking, moods and behavior which affect his or her relationship with others" (Livesley 98). Differences in personality style (traits) add color and variety to relationships but may become too extreme, inflexible or maladaptive, significantly impairing a person's ability to function. When a person is not able to deal with people or problems of the environment, he or she is said to have a Personality Disorder (Livesley 99). "Originally the term borderline was used to refer to individuals whose adjustment was on the borderline between normal and psychotic" (Holmes 393). Today borderline personality disorder is primarily marked by instability, showing different symptoms at different times. Most of the symptoms revolve around problems of mood, mild disturbance in thought processes, and impulsive self-injurious behavior (Holmes 393). All of this prevents the borderline to have interpersonal relationships. Individuals with the borderline personality disorder tend to have intense relationships that are very unstable. "Frequent interpersonal conflict, unstable, stormy relationships are characteristics of a borderline; Relationships usually have "love and hate characteristics" (Durand 334). Individuals with this disorder do not simply drift in and out of friendships, but instead show abrupt, frequent and dramatic changes between "intense love and equally intense hate" (Durand 334) in any one relationship. The fluctuations in their mood, involved with their anger; involved with their thought disturbances, and mixed with their paranoid thoughts ab... ... middle of paper ... ...ometimes symptoms can go unnoticed or are misunderstood. "Persons with BPD may often be thought of as manipulative or as attention-seeking (Burger 134). They can sometimes "act as if" they are okay. "People with BPD need validation and acknowledgment of the pain they struggle to live with as well as compassion without blame or judgments (Durand 99). Family members should always take suicidal statements and threats seriously and alert a mental health professional as soon as possible. "Education for family members cannot be stressed enough (Durand 99). Families need to learn all they can about BPD so that they can advocate for appropriate treatment for their loved ones. Informed families are then better able to deal with the stigma often encountered from mental health professionals. Instability might not even do borderlines justice, (Burger 199) chaotic is the best word to describe the life of a borderline. Their lives are intense their friendships abrupt. BPD is extremely painful to the patients, their families and to society. People with BPD experience intense emotions and are very vulnerable. They are among the most intensive and extensive utilizes of mental health services.
This disorder is described as an “instability of mood, chaotic personal relationships, and a disturbed sense of self” (Rathus, 2010). Mommie Dearest had three instances where this personality disorder was very prominent. In the first instance, audiences witness the moment Joan catches Christina “making fun of her.” This disturbs Joan, so as a punishment, Joan chops away at Christina’s beautiful hair. This can be classified as borderline because hearing Christina say bad things, disturbed Joan’s sense of self. The nest occurrence of this was after Joan had been informed that she was box office poison. Joan didn’t handle that information very well, as she chopped down her flowers. This can be considered borderline because Joan freaked out after being so calm, otherwise known as instability of mood. The final instance we see borderline personality disorder is after Christina got in trouble at school. Joan told a reported that Christina had been expelled. Christina barged in to say that she was not expelled. This caused Joan to have a rage of emotion that resulted in slapping Christina and choking
BPD is a devastating mental illness that is challenging to treat. Although BPD may be a difficult disorder to overcome, both Internet sites give hope to BPD victims and their families by outlining treatments that are effective. Research and experimental studies shine a more positive light to the future of treating BPD victims. The Internet sites illustrates that BPD is possible to overcome with the assistance of educated psychologist, psychiatrists, social workers, and physicians who are able to establish authentic professional relationships with victims of BPD.
Borderline personality disorder is a hard-mental disease to diagnose, according to The National Institute of Mental health the definition of borderline personality disorder is: “… a serious mental disorder marked by a pattern of ongoing instability in moods, behavior, self-image, and functioning. These experiences often result in impulsive actions and unstable relationships” (pg 1). When we look at that definition alone this is a very vague description of the disorder that anyone that is experiencing just a rough time in life, can be diagnosed with this mental disorder. Roughly about 3 million Americans are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder a year. To find out who really has this mental disorder we should look at case studies,
Some of the key components of BPD include self-harm, or suicidal thoughts and actions, dichotomous thinking, and low emotional granularity. People that present with reoccurring suicidal thoughts and actions, combined with a fear of abandonment, are commonly diagnosed with BPD. These two characteristics make BPD easily recognizable, but this diagnoses is often not used. The emotional volatility, recurrent crises, and self-injurious behaviors of those with BPD are often seen as willfully manipulative episodes, and not a sign of illness. (Gunderson, 2011) Yet, it is important to take these thoughts and actions seriously, as one never knows when someone may actually decide to end their life.
In order for someone to be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, they must experience at least five of the following symptoms: 1) fear of abandonment, 2) a history of intense and unstable relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, which often go back and forth between idealization (which includes love and extreme closeness) to devaluation (which includes extreme hatred or anger), 3) a disto...
In the past, BPD was believed to be a set of symptoms between problems associated with mood and schizophrenia. These symptoms were believed to be comprised of distortions of reality and mood problems. A closer look at this disorder has resulted in the realization that even though the symptoms of this disorder reveal emotional complexity, this disorder is more closer to other personality disorders, on the basis of the manner in which it develops and occurs in families, than to schizophrenia (Hoffman, Fruzzetti, Buteau &ump; Neiditch, 2005). The use of the term borderline has however, resulted in a heated controversy between the health care fraternity and patients. Patients argue that this term appears to be somehow discriminatory and that it should be removed and the disorder renamed. Patients point out that an alternative name, such as emotionally unstable personality disorder, should be adopted instead of borderline personality disorder. Clinicians, on the other hand, argue that there is nothing wrong with the use of the term borderline. Opponents of this term argue that the terms used to describe persons suffering from this disorder, such as demanding, treatment resistant, and difficult among others, are discriminatory. These terms may create a negative feeling of health professionals towards patients, an aspect that may lead to adoption of negative responses that may trigger self-destructive behavior (Giesen-Bloo et al, 2006). The fact however, is that the term borderline has been misunderstood and misused so much that any attempt to redefine it is pointless leaving scrapping the term as the only option.
Borderline personality disorder affects about 1.6% of the entire u.s. population (Salters-Pedneault). BPD is five times more likely to occur in a person if they have a close family member that already has the disorder (National Institute of Mental Health) . An example of a close family member would be the person’s mother or father. Symptoms of BPD consist of unstable relationships with their family, friends and loved ones. The person will swing from extreme closeness and love to extreme dislike. The person will also experience impulsive behaviors that are not safe. They have intense mood swings and have inappropriate, intense anger that they have a hard time controlling. A person struggling with BPD will also experience stress-related, paranoid thoughts (National Institute of Mental Health). Another mental health disorder is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is a non genetic disorder that affects 7-8% of the u.s. Population (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). The disease develops in people who have experienced an immense emotionally shocking or dangerous event. The events can range from near death experiences to sudden, unexpected deaths of loved ones. Symptoms of PTSD usually start within three months of the shocking or dangerous event. PTSD sufferers can experience flashbacks, feelings of guilt or blame, angry outbursts, negative feelings about the world, and a loss of interest in enjoyable activities (National Institute of Mental Health). Another mental health disorder is Schizophrenia. People suffering from this disorder experience hallucinations and delusions that they believe to be real (National Institute of Mental Health). They also experience a reduction in expressed emotions and reduced feelings of pleasure in everyday life, such as increased difficulty to begin and sustain activities and a reduction in the amount of speaking the
The term borderline personality disorder (BPD) was termed by Adolph Stern in the 1930s to describe a group of people on a “borderline” between neurosis and psychosis (SITE). Today, BPD is described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as “a pervasive patt...
Some of the most common actions or responses for individuals with borderline personality disorder are suicidal. Incorporating the teaching of problem-solving skills will hopefully, again, reduce the number of suicidal thoughts or behaviors an individual has that could result in serious self-injury (Van Goethem, A., et al.). Lastly, arguably the most important component of the dialectical behavior therapy is allowing those who have undergone the treatment to test what they have learned. The final stage of this therapy involves having the patients visualize themselves in certain scenarios and creating a response to what they are envisioning. The most important part of this process is having patients trust their responses without utilizing the help and opinions of other individuals (Van Goethem, A., et al.). Though there are several different components that make up the dialectical behavioral therapy, they are each crucial to the treatment for individuals with, not only borderline personality disorder, but many other psychological disorders as well. Some of the effects of how this treatment has worked can be observed in a couple of different
BPD is a complex disorder in a sense that the symptoms such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse may cause a misdiagnosis thus overlooking BPD completely (Biskin & Paris, 2013). This personality disorder has also been known to occur simultaneously with anxiety disorders, eating disorders and bipolar mood disorders (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2014). In addition, the prevalence of BPD decreases in older individuals (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental illness characterized by patterns of ongoing instability in moods, behavior, self-image, and functioning. An individual suffering from this disorder may act impulsively and experience unstable relationships (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). The term Borderline Personality Disorder stems from the idea that the characteristics of this disorder fall between anxiety and psychosis (Cacioppo & Freberg, 2016). According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2017), “1.6% of the adult U.S. population have BPD but it may be as high as 5.9%. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed with BPD are women, but recent research suggests that men may be almost as frequently
An estimated 1.6%-5.9% of the adult population in the United States has BPD, with nearly 75% of the people who are diagnosed being women. Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder include Frantic efforts to avoid being abandoned by friends and family, Unstable personal relationships that alternate between idealizations, Distorted and unstable self-image, Impulsive behaviors that can have dangerous outcomes, Suicidal and self-harming behavior, Periods of intense depressed mood, irritability or anxiety lasting a couple hours/days, Chronic feelings of boredom or emptiness, Inappropriate, intense or uncontrollable anger - often followed by shame and guilt, and Dissociative feelings. The three main factors that could cause this mental illness are Genetics, Environmental factors, and Brain function. This illness can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional after a series of interviews with the patient and family/friends of the patient. The patient must also have at least five of the nine symptoms of this illness in order to be diagnosed. The most common treatment for this illness is some form of psychotherapy. Some other treatment options are to prescribe medications and if needed a short-term
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) hinders people’s security, makes interpersonal and interpersonal relationships difficult, worsens the person suffering from the disorder’s life and those around them, effects their affect and self-image, and generally makes a person even more unstable (Davidon et al., 2007). This disorder is a personality disorder which effects the people’s emotions, personality, and daily living including relationships with other and job stability. People with BPD may experience a variation of symptoms including but not limited to: intense contradictory emotions involving sadness, anger, and anxiety, feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and isolations (Biskin & Paris, 2012). This disorder makes it hard for the person with the disorder to maintain relationships since they have tendentious believe that people are either strictly good or bad. Also, they are sensitive to other people’s actions and words and are all over the place with their emotions so those in their life never know which side to expect. (Biskin & Paris, 2012)
416). It is easy to see how a person suffering from these biological abnormalities would exhibit the symptoms of BPD. The psychodynamic approach to understanding BPD cites need that are not met in childhood. In this theory, the caregiver is inconsistent. This inconsistency results in the child not being able to feel secure in the relationship (Boag, 2014). Children who are unable to develop secure relationships are taught that they cannot rely on people, and are therefore insecure in their interpersonal relationships. Cognitive theorists see personality disorders as developing from adaptive behaviors that they have formed that are considered over or underdeveloped in general society (Sampson, McCubbin, and Tyrer, 2006). In this theory people with BPD develop adaptive behaviors, often to inconsistent behaviors of parents (Reinecke & Ehrenreich, 2005). These adaptive behaviors are considered maladaptive, because they work to counteract the inconsistent behaviors of the caregiver, but do not work when the person tries to use them in their everyday life. In the humanistic model, psychologists maintain that people have an ingrained desire to self-actualize (Comer, 2014, p. 53). Children who are not shown unconditional love, develop “conditions of worth” (Comer, 2014, p. 53). These children do not develop accurate senses of themselves; therefore, they are unable to establish identities. Due to their lack of personal identity, they learn to base their self-worth on others. In socio-cultural theorists argue that BPD is due to a rapidly changing culture (Comer, 2014, p. 418). The change in culture leads to a loss of support systems. These support systems help to counteract many of the symptoms of BPD: little or no sense of self, anxiety, and emptiness. Many of these theories relate back to the experiences of people in their childhood. Children develop based on the treatment and security they receive from their caregivers. When there is inconsistent reliability, children
People with Borderline Personality Disorder tend to view the world as simple as possible. People who view the world like this, confuse the actions of others. (Hoermann et al, 2005) Recurrent thoughts about their relationships with others, lead them to experience extreme emotional reactions, great agony which they have a hard time controlling, which would result in engaging in self-destructive behaviors. Diagnosing a patient with this disorder can be challenging which is why is it is labeled as one of the difficult ones to diagnose. (Hoermann et al, 2005)