Borderline Personality Disorders: A Case Study

DESCRIPTION There has been no change in the diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV to the DSM-5 with regards to diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is defined by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-5 (2013) as “a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts” (Borderline Personality Disorder). There are nine criteria listed in the DSM-5 (2013) that are utilized as indicators that the individual meets the diagnostic definition of BPD. The individual must meet a minimum of five of the criteria
Individuals with BPD meeting the first criterion will have

They will demonstrate sudden shifting of personal goals, values, or career plans. This can be in expressed in changes of opinion on job satisfaction or career aspirations. Opinions can additionally vary in choice of friends, value system, and sexual identity. These sudden changes may represent a pattern of the individual sabotaging themselves as a goal is about to achieved. Thus, they may drop out of school just before graduation or display self-destructive behavior in a positive, supporting relationship. These individuals may be characterized by recurring periods of unemployment, uncompleted education, or separation and divorce. Although, their self-image is often negatively based on being bad or evil, they may experience feelings that they are nonexistent. Periods of nonexistent self-image coincide with periods of lacking emotional attachment with others or a positive support system.
The fourth criterion is meet by the individual demonstrating potentially self-destructive impulsive behavior. This impulsiveness must be in a minimum of two behaviors; such as unsafe sex, poor financial money management, substance abuse, binge eating, or reckless driving as examples. Behaviors that include self-mutilation or suicidal behavior are not included in the self-destructive behavior of the fourth criterion. They are represented by the fifth criterion. Self-mutilation or suicidal behavior

The variance may be the result of the comorbidity of BDP with depressive, eating, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorders which mimic some of the diagnostic criteria. BPD is represented in a large portion of prison inmates, with a prevalence rate of 30% (Mancke, Bertsch, & Herpertz, 2015). In the general population aggression is more commonly associated with male. However, BPD is 75% more likely to occur in women. The research conducted by Mancke, Bertsch, & Herpertz found that BPD reduces the gender difference in regards to aggression differences between the genders. However, males were shown to demonstrate more impulsive behavior and explosive episodes of