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About two percent of the American population suffers the effects of a mental health problem that once seemed to not fit in any known mental health treatment categories. This condition, today called borderline personality disorder (BPD), is highly common but complicated. How can you tell if you or someone you love need borderline personality disorder treatment?
According to Harvard Health, borderline personality disorder (BPD) relates to consistently unstable mood, thinking, personal relationships and self-image in those it affects. If you suffer BPD, you struggle to deal with your strong emotions, particularly of anger. You may also be self-medicating your mental health condition using drugs or alcohol in a cycle of co-occurring conditions, but you are not alone.
What causes borderline personality disorder?
For most people, BPD does not root in just one cause. Instead, a combination of factors leads to the condition. These potential causes of borderline personality disorder include:
Although there is no little evidence of genes relating to borderline personality disorder, the condition seems to run in families. This means that if one or both of your parents have BPD, you are more likely to suffer the condition, as well. The same is true if you are an identical twin, with your twin having a mental health disorder.
Serotonin and other neurotransmitters in your brain are the messenger chemicals that communicate between brain cells. Changed levels of serotonin possibly relate to BPD, just as this neurotransmitter plays a role in depression, aggression and impulse control.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in people with BPD shows many have unusual activity levels in three specific areas of the brain or these areas are smaller than average. These parts include the amygdala, hippocampus, and orbitofrontal cortex. Scientists believe that these brain changes relate to early childhood experiences.
Environmental factors relating to the development of BPD include trauma, neglect by one or both parents, and having a family member with serious mental health problems or addiction. As a child, your life at home and among your family strongly influences your adult view of the world and beliefs about yourself and others. Having unresolved anger, distress or fear from your childhood can lead you to idealize others, expect others to parent you, expect others to bully you or behave as if you are a child among other adults. All of these symptoms and behaviors can make the possibility borderline personality disorder treatment increase.
Why is it called borderline personality disorder?
The word “borderline” in BPD relates to the history of the disorder’s diagnosis. Mental health professionals initially categorized mental conditions as neuroses or psychoses. But when psychiatrists first dove into the symptoms, causes, and treatment of this condition previously not known to them, they could not place it in either category. As neither a neurotic condition, nor a psychotic one, they instead placed it in between these two types of mental illnesses. This imaginary space is on the borderline.
What are the 9 symptoms of borderline personality disorder?
BPD affects your feelings about yourself. It also affects how you behave and relate to other people. Borderline personality disorder symptoms include:
BPD as a Dual Diagnosis Disorder
BPD frequently combines with substance abuse in a condition called a dual diagnosis disorder. More than two-thirds of people with borderline personality disorder also develop a substance use disorder. The combination of drugs or alcohol with BPD results in instability and impulsivity beyond patients with only borderline personality disorder. If you suffer these co-occurring conditions, you likely experience or display suicidal behaviors, resist addiction and BPD treatment and relapse after only short periods of abstinence.
For co-occurring conditions of BPD and substance abuse, you need BPD treatment at a facility also licensed to treat substance use disorder.
What helps borderline personality disorder?
Considered the “gold standard” of treatment for borderline personality disorder since the 1990s, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) provides the help you or your loved one need for a more stable future. In fact, DBT saves many lives each year. A 2014 study showed that more than two-thirds of individuals treated for BPD using dialectical behavioral therapy no longer suffered that mental illness.
Dr. Marsha Linehan created DBT by basing it on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is another therapy frequently used for substance abuse treatment and co-occurring conditions.
DBT focuses on skill-building within both group therapy and one-on-one therapy environments. The therapy teaches you or your loved one new behavioral skills for coping with difficult symptoms of BPD. Skills developed in DBT include:
A therapist guides you or your loved one through each of these four skills as part of four segments of the therapy. It takes a full year to advance through all of the segments and adopt the skills as part of daily life. Sometimes, individuals must repeat some of the modules to overcome struggles.
DBT is like a wheel with many spokes. Each of the spokes works together to hold the wheel in place and function normally. This means that you must invest in yourself in treatment, participate in group therapy lessons and complete assigned homework and skills practice. Individual counseling backs up and reinforces what you learn in DBT.
Start Overcoming Your Borderline Personality Disorder and Substance Abuse Today
No one should have to live within the damaging emotions and behaviors of borderline personality disorder with or without substance abuse. With the right treatment for BPD and addiction, you can overcome both conditions and live a healthier and happier life. Contact Mission Behavioral Health in Santa Barbara and Southern California California today to start your own journey toward healing.
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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