Description of Borderline Disorder
Borderline personality disorder is a mental health condition that influences individuals’ thinking about themselves as well as other people. Some of the symptoms of the disease include self-image issues, a pattern of unstable relationships, and difficulty managing behavior and emotions (Goodman et al., 2014). Borderline personality disorders patients have an intense fear of abandonment, stability, and have a profound fear of being alone. Additional symptoms include periods of stress-related paranoia, impulsive and risky behavior such as gambling, rapid changes in self-image and self-identity, a pattern of unstable relationships, wide mood swings, feelings of emptiness, and inappropriate anger. The condition often commences at early adulthood but may get better as one gets old.
Therapeutic Approach
The diagnosis procedure for borderline personality disorder includes a detailed interview, psychological evaluation that may entail the completion of questionnaires, and an analysis of medical history and exam (Clarkin & Kernberg, 2014). The practitioner should then discuss with the patient on the signs and symptoms noted during the psychotropic sessions and inform them according to the conditions they are suffering from before commencing therapy or the treatment process.
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The therapy procedures for borderline personality disorder encompass psychotherapy. At times, it may include medication. In a situation when the patient’s safety is at risk, the doctor may also recommend hospitalization. The fundamental approach for the condition is psychotherapy, which is often adapted to meet the patient’s needs. Towards this end, the focus should be on the patient’s contemporary ability to function and teaching the patient how to manage emotions that make them feel uncomfortable. It is imperative to train the patient to observe feelings rather than act on them and help him or her work on reducing impulsiveness, thereby improving their relationship. Finally, the patient should learn about borderline personality disorder.
Various types of psychotherapy are effective in case a person is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) mostly entails individual and group therapy tailored specifically for borderline personality disorder. It applies skill-based approach to train the patient on how to manage their emotions, improve relationships, and tolerate distress (Harned et al., 2014). Secondly, schema-focused therapy, which is attainable in groups or individually, is important in ensuring that the patient identifies unmet needs responsible for negative life choices. The objective of the therapy is to help the patient in meeting his or her needs in a healthy manner that promotes positive life patterns. Finally, good psychiatric management is a treatment that depends on the case management, and anchored in the expectation of school or work participation. The focus is to help the patient make sense of emotionally difficult moments by considering interpersonal context for one’s feelings.
Certain approved medications may be helpful in dealing with borderline personality disorder. It is noteworthy that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have designated no specific drugs for the treatment of personality borderline disorder. The drugs are mainly useful in the management of symptoms such as impulsiveness, anxiety, depression, or aggression. The medication may include antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood-stabilizing drugs (Wetzelaer et al., 2014). Notably, the patient may undergo hospitalization in cases where their safety is at risk. For a person suffering from the condition, learning to master one’s emotions and behavior may take time. Most people may show considerable improvement struggle to cope with the symptoms of the condition. The symptoms may be better at times and get worse some other time. Hospitalization may be necessary to address suicidal behaviors or thoughts and keep them safe from self-injury. The aim any therapy or treatment approach is to help the individual improve the ability to function and feel better about their self-image.
References
Clarkin, J. F., & Kernberg, O. F. (2015). Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Guide . American Psychiatric Pub.
Goodman, M., Carpenter, D., Tang, C. Y., Goldstein, K. E., Avedon, J., Fernandez, N., & Siever, L. J. (2014). Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research , 57 , 108-116.
Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., & Linehan, M. M. (2014). A pilot randomized controlled trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with and without the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol for suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. Behaviour Research and Therapy , 55 , 7-17.
Wetzelaer, P., Farrell, J., Evers, S. M., Jacob, G. A., Lee, C. W., Brand, O., & Lavender, A. (2014). Design of an international multicentre RCT on group schema therapy for borderline personality disorder. BMC psychiatry , 14 (1), 319.
