Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health disorder that is characterised by disrupted interpersonal relationships, a distorted sense of self and strong emotional reactions that may seem inapproriate to others.

People suffering from a borderline personality disorder may often engage in self-harm as a way of trying to get their emotions back to a more stable baseline.

Sufferers may also struggle with feelings of emptiness, fears of abandonment or feeling detached from reality.

Borderline personaility disorder often begins during early adulthood and is often associated with drug abuse problems and depression.

As with all human behaviours that are classified as being due to underlying biological pathology, the causes of BPD remain unknown although both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play roles in its development.

Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms

The main symptoms associated with Borderline Personality Disorder incude the following nine signs and symptoms of which at least five must be present in order to reach the diagnostic level:

• Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
• Unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships.
• A disturbed sense of identity and distorted self-image.
• Impulsive or reckless behaviors, for example impulsive spending, unsafe sex, substance misuse, reckless driving, etc.
• Self-harm.
• Rapidly shifting intense emotional dysregulation.
• Chronic feelings of emptiness.
• Inappropriate, intense anger that can be difficult to control.
• Paranoia.
• Dissociation.

The key symptoms indicating borderline pesonality disorders are those associated with disrupted interpersonal relationships in which people may be idealised and then de-valued, mood swings and difficulties controlling strong emotions.

Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder

Technically, only a psychiatrist can diagnose a Borderline Personality Disorder, but in the UK general practitioners have tended to diagnose mental health problems by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

The DSM lists specific symptoms against a range of disorders and whenever a person meets this criteria, they are said to be suffering from that disorder.

Diagnostic procedures do NOT make use of medical testing (for example blood tests) in order to produce a diagnosis, but rather is an opinion based on the observation of certain behaviours in the person who is suffering.

Because of this lack of verifiable medical testing, diagnosis remains a controversial subject, particularly within the psychological (non-medical) community.

However, in the UK access to support services is often contingent on receiving a diagnosis, so in this sense, a formal diagnosis may be useful.

Counselling for Borderline Personality Disorder

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Borderline Personality Disorder and related problems.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had the problem.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your problem is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for anxiety on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder
• The CORE programme for Borderline Personality Disorder
• Counselling for Borderline Personality Disorder

Although all therapies use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Research suggests that this therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.