Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is an anxiety disorder that results in severe emotional and physical reactions from those who suffer from it. The intensity of these reactions can be extreme, making it impossible to function normally in many areas of one’s life. Fortunately, BPD is treatable with the help of a skilled therapist. However, this condition often goes untreated, which can exacerbate symptoms and lead to potentially fatal complications.
If you or a loved one suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, it is important to seek treatment. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the condition, people who suffer from BPD often don’t seek treatment until they reach the point where they are at risk for serious complications. When feelings of desperation and hopelessness begin to dominate a person’s life, seeking treatment is necessary to try and stifle these emotions. For many people suffering from BPD, the thought of having to speak with a therapist may trigger feelings of embarrassment and shame, which leads them to think that therapy will make these feelings go away.
Fortunately, many psychiatrists and psychologists offer different types of therapy to help those who suffer from personality disorders such as BPD. These treatments include medications, medication therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and interpersonal skills training. Depending on what type of help a person requires, their doctor will recommend a certain blend of treatment options. For instance, some patients require medication while others simply require counseling. No matter what type of help a person requires, it is essential to first determine what type of help they need in order to improve their quality of life.
While psychotherapy is widely used to treat BPD, there is also a form of alternative medicine called “behavioral replacement” or BRM. In contrast to standard psychotherapy, behavioral replacement relies on a combination of different methods. For example, a patient could receive psychiatric treatment and then participate in a behavior modification program. The patient and his or her therapist would work together to find new ways for the patient to deal with negative emotions such as shame and guilt. An experienced clinician will be able to use these methods effectively and guide the client in making positive changes in their life. Some of the things the therapist and the client would do are as follows.
The client would be asked to identify when he or she crosses a psychological or emotional line and makes a personal choice to continue the behavior. Clients would undergo a series of self-monitoring activities to determine when they cross a line. In addition to noticing when they have negatively behaved, clients could monitor how they react to various circumstances. If necessary, they could ask their therapists to assist them in handling boundary crossings in a more appropriate way.
After identifying a series of events that might trigger a traumatic event in the client’s life, the clinical psychologist would help the client deal with the trauma in an appropriate way. As one of the most common causes of relapse, substance abuse is another issue which is commonly addressed during BPD therapy. It is important to know that a significant number of people with BPD have been subjected to severe physical and sexual abuse during childhood. Since children are likely to engage in harmful behavior due to negative emotions, it is imperative for professionals to teach them how to deal with trauma and handle their emotions appropriately.
In treating BPD patients, a large emphasis is given on the concept of mood disorders. The mood disorder model is a behavioral approach, which aims to treat emotional as well as mental disturbances instead of treating the condition solely from a biological perspective. The model believes that BPD can be treated through addressing the imbalance of brain chemistry in order to provide long term relief. This approach has been tested and proved effective with various types of behavioral disorders including anxiety, mood swings, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders and drug abuse. Because BPD can lead to potentially fatal conditions like suicide, proper medication is always prescribed in addition to therapy.
Psychotherapy provides personalized treatment according to the patient’s needs. Unlike conventional medicine, BPD is not limited to a particular type of medication or technique. Comprehensive care including group and family sessions is administered to ensure that each person learns how to address and control his or her own feelings and behaviors. An experienced BPD psychiatrist is best suited to determine the best course of treatment that will provide long term benefits.