What is BPD?
BPD is a personality disorder that makes it hard for people to feel comfortable with themselves and their identity
Reviewed by Consultant Director, Lorna Wykes.
Borderline Personality Disorder (also known as BPD) can cause difficulties for individuals controlling emotions and urges. This may result in an inability to be able to manage relationships and conflict.
Often those with this condition struggle with thoughts and beliefs and themselves, others, and the world around them.
It is common for the symptoms or BPD to occur within teenage years or during early adulthood.
What causes BPD?
Causes of this condition are still not widely understood
There is still much not known about the causes of this condition. However, research has suggested that a genetic link is possible although no BPD gene has been identified yet, this is still an area being studied. Altered brain chemicals and brain development have also been identified as possible causes which may contribute to the symptoms of BPD.
Environmental factors also such as suffering abuse, neglect or being exposed to another family member with a serious mental health condition can contribute to both likelihood of having BPD and one’s ability to manage the condition. What we do know is that BPD is not a choice and it is not the individual’s fault that they have this condition.
DSM Diagnostic Criteria
The DSM V defines the following behaviours and symptoms when diagnosing BPD
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
- A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealisation and devaluation.
- Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
- Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self- damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
- Recurrent suicidal behaviour, gestures, or threats, or self- mutilating behaviour.
- Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).
- Chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights).
- Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
Borderline Personality Disorder Therapy
The best recognised treatment for BPD is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
The best recognised treatments for BPD is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). This treatment offers a combination of group and one to one therapy. The group therapy is once a week for 2 1/2 hours. Alongside this you will have an individual session with your therapist once a week. Both will take place in comfortable surroundings at one of our locations in Buckinghamshire.
The DBT group work is focused on skills training. There are four modules comprising of Core Mindfulness Skills, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance. The DBT full programme is 25 weeks long and is often completed twice.
The individual session will be one-hour therapy per week with your individual therapist. This time is utilised to manage life more effectively using the skills that you are learning in the DBT Group.
A DBT perspective on BPD dysregulation
These are the key areas that DBT focuses on working on with BPD patients
Emotional Dysregulation
Interpersonal Dysregulation
Behavioural Dysregulation
Cognitive Dysregulation
Self Dysregulation
Individuals with BPD frequently have little sense of self; they feel empty and struggle mightily with a sense of purpose.
Get Help For BPD Today
Start managing your life with Borderline Personality Disorder. Get in contact with us team to learn more about Borderline Personality Disorder Therapy.
We provide private and confidential borderline personality disorder therapy at our clinic in Aylesbury. We’re also able to offer support through online therapy or by coming to you through our outreach service.
