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Borderline Personality Disorder Essay

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Borderline Personality Disorder Essay
Borderline personality disorder became a recognized disorder in the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR in 1980. Before being given the name BPD, it was thought of as a tamer version of schizophrenia, often times being placed into groups of “As-If’s”, “Borderline Group” or hysteria. Borderline personality disorder is when an individual experiences extreme mood swings, an overwhelming fear of abandonment, dichotomous thinking, erratic interpersonal relationships, paranoia and a constant need for attention. With this being said, BPD usually coincides with many other mental disorders such as self-harm, eating disorders, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. Medical professionals still to this day find the term to be …show more content…
BPD usually occurs with other psychiatry problems such as depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and other personality disorders. It also is a condition where one loses a sense of self. Thus, frequently changing jobs, goals, friendships, and even relationships. People suffering from BPD do not feel like they belong in any group. Being around family and friends can leave them feeling foreign, and uncomfortable. They often feel as though they are “pretending” to be what society expects of them, and as soon as they get home they feel as if they are liars.
Self –harm is common in this disorder. Sufferers often feel as though they need to feel pain physically. Since they feel as if they cannot control their emotions. Cutting is their means of coping and obtaining a sense of control. Anorexia and drug abuse are other common forms of self-harm in this disorder and may sometimes lead to death. Those around persons with BPD may assume that this is all for attention and that they are trying to manipulate the situation, since that is one of their traits. Attention from self-harm is secondary and is something of
…show more content…
Dialectical behavior therapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, therapeutic communities, interpersonal therapies, cognitive-analytic therapy and schema focused cognitive theory have all been found to help BPD patients. Cognitive-analytic therapy and schema focused cognitive therapy are both fairly new and are untested despite being promising. Most of these therapies for BPD have a generally consistent structure and it is in that structure that lies the importance of borderline patients. Researchers are still at odds as to whether long and continuous therapy and a prolonged relationship with a therapist or team negatively affects the patient’s already intense attachments. They have found that through self-observation those with BPD can try to understand where their intense feelings sprouted from than simply stating it was impulsive.
Pharmacological treatments are also another means to assist those with Borderline Personality Disorder. There are no drugs specific to BPD and drugs that are prescribed pertain to associated disorders such as depressive, psychotic, or anxiety disorders. These drugs may include and are not limited to loxapine, haloperidol, and olanzapine. Still, researchers have many unanswered questions and are focused on finding and exploring new or improved ways to help

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