Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Essay by suejohnson17University, Master'sA+, November 2003

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Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is the most researched personality disorder in psychology today. Individuals with BPD exhibit patterns of behavior which cause disruptions in mood, identity and interpersonal relationships. Characteristics include impulsivity, which is usually self damaging, such as acts of self-mutilation, alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders and suicide tendencies. BPD's have stormy relationships that are chaotic and intense with often times desperate fears of abandonment. Having problems with object constancy in people , BPD's interpret each action of people they are in relationship with as if it had no prior context, they have no sense of continuity or consistency about the people in their lives. In times of extreme stress BPD's can experience disassociation and delusions about the self, having no sense of self and feeling empty. The most prevalent factor with BPD's is the intense anger and the difficulty they have in controlling it.

BPD's are recognized by their high emotional outbursts.

Current information gives no one cause for BPD. It seems to be a combination of early developmental, neurobiological, and social factors that are probably responsible for the illness. It appears that a genetic predisposition coupled with an adverse environment are common factors in BPD's cause. For instance, there seems to be a high incident rate of childhood abuse or sexual abuse in BPD's. In the U.S. there are a small number of clinicians who believe BPD to be a 'neurological illness', most probably a form of epilepsy, that can be treated with medication and therapy. Dr. Leland Heller is this theories greatest advocate (www.biologicalunhappiness.com).

Treatment for BPD's are usually made up of medication and therapy. Two of the most common therapies used in treating the illness are Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. From her successes found in controlled studies of...