Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
 

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by a pattern of unstable emotions, impulsive behaviours, relationship difficulties, and an inconsistent self-image. Those with BPD often have problems with regulation in the following areas:

• Emotion Dysregulation (mood instability and problems with anger).

Individuals with BPD may find it extremely difficult to regulate or modulate their emotions. They may experience intense emotions such as anger, anxiety/fear, and sadness, which they find difficult to cope with and reduce.

• Behavioural Dysregulation (suicidal and impulsive behaviours).

Individuals with BPD often engage in self-harm or suicidal behaviours, such as cutting or scratching themselves. They may also act impulsively or quickly “on the spur of the moment” without thinking about the long-term consequences of their behaviour.

• Self Dysregulation (confused sense of self and feelings of emptiness).

Individuals with BPD may have a poorly developed identity. They may have trouble determining “who they are” and might change how they think of themselves regularly.They can be very self-critical and often put themselves down. They may feel “empty” inside.

• Cognitive Dysregulation (dissociative responses or paranoid ideation)

Individuals with BPD may dissociate, i.e., “mentally slip away”, or have an increase in paranoid thoughts, in response to a stressful event.

• Interpersonal Dysregulation (unstable relationships and fear of abandonment).

People with BPD often have intense and unstable relationships. They may idealize and become intensely involved with others. They may, however, quickly switch to devaluing these same people and withdraw from them. BPD can also make people extremely anxious about the possibility of others abandoning them. They often have strong fears of being rejected by those who are important to them and may become anxious about being separated from them.

Together, these symptoms can cause significant distress and negatively affect people’s ability to function effectively.

If you or someone you know has some or all of these symptoms, it may be due to BPD. Psychologists at EBT3 are trained in using psychological assessment tools to find out whether this is the case. They are also experienced at treating BPD and the related symptoms using approaches that have been proven to be effective, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.

For more information about Borderline Personality Disorder, or to find an experienced psychologist, please contact us.