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It’s very difficult for a doctor to treat a patient if they don’t have a full understanding of the disorder they are trying to treat. Doctors stand a much better chance of treatment success when they have the right diagnosis and a clear understanding of the source of the problem. This is true whether it’s a physical or psychological problem the doctor is dealing with.
Borderline Personality Disorder is a relatively complicated condition. It has the potential of causing a lot of emotional issues for the unfortunate individual who has the affliction. From a psychologist’s perspective, there are a lot of things they have to consider before providing treatment to a BPD patient.
For anyone interested in information on this topic, the questions must start with, “what is borderline personality disorder?”.
What is Borderline Personality Disorder?
Have you ever encountered someone who seemed to have emotional regulation issues or lacks a stable sense of self? If you have, there’s a chance you were encountering someone who is suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.
Aside from having confidence issues and a poor self-image, BPD sufferers also tend to live with a constant fear of rejection. They often feel the people around them are going to abandon them or exclude them from groups or important events. Their issues usually start early in adulthood, and in the best cases, their BPD symptoms start diminishing as they mature.
To get a better sense of what life might be like for someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, you should review the following symptoms:
Using this information as a basis for understanding, it should be clear to you why people with BPD have a difficult path to walk. The good news is there are treatment methods that have proven to be very successful. More on that below.
What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder?
At this point, it makes sense to discuss what causes Borderline Personality Disorder. I’s worth repeating that BPD is a complicated condition. Try as they may, psychologists and psychiatrists have been struggling for decades to get a grip on this disorder. They have made great inroads, but treating the condition still offers challenges.
According to available research, there are two primary causes of Borderline Personality Disorder. Not surprisingly, there is a genetic component to BPD. Long ago, the psychiatric treatment community was able to establish that some people are genetically predisposed to certain mental or emotional disorders. They were further able to establish that BPD was a disorder that could come from this genetic predisposition.
The other cause of Borderline Personality Disorder lives in the brain. There are parts of the brain that are responsible for regulating emotions, impulsivity, and aggression. If someone’s brain function is abnormal due to chemical imbalances, it could very well affect the way the individual thinks, feels and behaves toward themselves. Often times, this stems from trauma or attachment issues with one’s parents.
Complications: BPD and Substance Abuse
One of the listed symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder is reckless behavior. There is mention of substance abuse as one of those behaviors. There is plenty of support for the notion that BPD and substance abuse can come together to form what the psychiatric and addiction treatment communities refer to as “coexisting conditions.”
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people with BPD who struggle to cope with their conditions. In desperation, some of these people resort to addictive behaviors as coping mechanisms. Can you imagine what it must be like for someone with BPD to subsequently fall victim to the disease of drug or alcohol addiction?
When someone ends up with coexisting conditions like BPD and drug addiction, their best chance for any kind of salvation will lie with a licensed rehab facility. Through what the addiction community refers to as “dual diagnosis therapy“, patients can get treatment for both conditions at the same. In fact, they must get treatment for both conditions at the same time. It’s the best way to ensure that the untreated condition doesn’t interfere with the possibility of a full recovery from the addiction.
How to Treat BPD
As is the case with a lot of psychological disorders, there are two primary treatment options for Borderline Personality Disorder. One of the treatment options is medication. Psychiatrists often prescribe certain medications to help regulate the patient’s chemical brain function. The drugs of choice include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antianxiety medications. Psychiatrists will decide which option the patient will benefit most by using the patient’s psychiatric profile as a guideline.
The other treatment option is psychotherapy. While psychotherapy covers a broad range of treatment methodologies, evidence-based therapies seem to work best for BPD patients. The two primary evidence-based therapies of choice would be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. What both of these options have in common is they all require the patient to learn about and understand how their negative thoughts or feelings are creating negative behaviors in their life. If they can gain said understanding, they can use coping skills to convert the negativity into positive feelings and behaviors. Better coping often leads to better behaviors.
At this point, you should have a good idea of what Borderline Personality Disorder is about. If you are struggling with this disorder or an addiction tied to this disorder, Mission Harbor can offer you help. We have the resources and treatment options to help you get your life back to manageability. If you want to start on the path towards a better way of living, contact us today.
The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.
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