Having a friend or loved one who is in an acute phase of BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) is truly a terrifying experience. Living with someone like this is enough to drive anyone to the brink of despair. To make matters worse, BPD sufferers often feel completely alone and out of control of their own lives. This syndrome is characterized by intense emotional pain and discomfort with oneself and/or the people around them, coupled with severe difficulties managing basic needs.
So how can one go about getting the help that they need? The first step is understanding exactly what BPD is. It is a mental health disorder that causes sufferers to have frequent outbursts of uncontrolled emotions. These outbursts are caused by a distorted view of reality and/or a deep-seated sense of helplessness and shame. The sufferer may repeatedly abuse alcohol or drugs, both of which exacerbate the problem even more. As sufferers live in a constant state of emotional distress, their physical health suffers as well.
One common characteristic of BPD is compulsive lying. This disorder is characterized by a constant need to conceal aspects of your life so that you do not have to face any consequences. A sufferer will deny, minimize, or simply not tell you facts about their behavior. Sufferers will rationalize and explain away inconsistencies by using critical reasoning. They will argue and criticize their therapist, friends, and family members to avoid facing reality. Because of these lies and distortions, the disorder becomes much more serious.
A significant element in treatment for BPD is to bring the sufferer out into the open. Family and friends should be particularly supportive, but you should also make an effort to talk with your doctor about the issues affecting your loved one. You should encourage your doctor to prescribe therapy as a means of helping to cope with BPD. Depending upon the severity of the disorder, therapy can help the sufferer to deal with their chaotic life in a controlled way. In addition, therapy can also help family members and friends understand why the sufferer does the things they do.
Counseling is another important component of treatment. A therapist can help you develop a comprehensive plan of action. Counseling can help you develop skills for handling difficult people. It can help you to become skillful at communicating with people. The therapist can also teach you how to develop a more efficient method of managing your finances.
Cognitive behavior therapy is also helpful in dealing with BPD. This approach teaches sufferers to identify the triggers that cause their attacks and how to stop the trigger. The treatment usually takes over a period of four to six months. During this time you will learn how to change your thought processes to help you to minimize the likelihood of experiencing a meltdown.
If you are concerned that your loved one might suffer from BPD, you should take them to the hospital for an evaluation. In the evaluation, the health care provider will be able to determine if the disorder is being caused by anxiety, bipolar disorder or another disorder. Treatment usually involves at least two to four weeks of inpatient treatment, which is usually in a hospital or other out patient setting. Therapy is also an important part of treatment. If you want to know more about BPD therapy, there are many websites that offer BPD information.
You need to make sure that you are supporting the sufferer so that they do not spiral out of control. Family members and friends need to ensure that they are helping out on a regular basis. This may mean that you help out by helping to cover their bills or even by driving them around. When a loved one is suffering from BPD, they need all of the help that they can get.