Borderline Personality Disorder

According to DSM-IV borderline personality disorder is characterized by disturbed personal abilities which results in unstable personality impact. It usually develops in 18 plus teens and in adolescents as well. During this condition a patient feels constant disturbance in his normal functioning due to having persistent instability and variability in mood level. Such unexpected mood swings distract his attention from every normal activity he is doing at the moment which leads to disturbed inner self, instability in relationships, abnormal thinking patterns, personality splitting and great difficulty in dealing with assigned tasks. As this personality disorder involves disturbance in emotional level of a patient that is why clinicians are debating over changing its name to ‘Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder”.         

Borderline personality disorder causes severe impact over mental and psychological condition of a suffering patient. Such person lacks ability to handle normal life activities in his school or college or at various work places which results in poor grades in academic career and low rank in professional life. Continuous instability of mind also disturbs relations which often results in loneliness, depression and suicide attempts.           

What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder?

It is still unknown that what exactly causes borderline personality disorder. Genetic factors, environmental effects, abnormal child birth, depressed maturation period, brain damage and traumatic experience in childhood are considered to be involved behind such abnormal condition but no one is specific in this case. In some cases post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder are also considered responsible factors in developing borderline personality disorder. 

Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder

For diagnosing borderline personality disorder various methods are applied including clinical assessment, self reported experiences, family interviews, question to friends, teachers and co-workers, medical checkup and behavioral analysis etc. previously it was taken as a part of schizophrenic disorder as it also involves depression, anxiety, mood swings and dissociation but now it is considered a separate type of personality disorder.

In most of the cases of borderline personality disorder it is not possible to diagnose it easily because such patients often lead very normal life and show very active behavior, sharp intelligence and warm companionship in their regular routine. In such conditions disorder makes its full appearance in the case of sudden shock in the form of death of loved ones or major financial loss in business due to which his inner disturbed personality collapses at once and disorder shows its symptoms obviously.       

Treating Borderline Personality Disorder

Though there is no sure treatment option for borderline personality disorder but a combination of psychotherapy and medication is applied to reduce the intensity of disorder and to recover patient’s normal state of life as much as possible. Such patient is trained to cope with his stress and to get control over his impulsive attitude through self esteem therapies but if a patient is involved in substance abuse then hospitalization cab be a temporary treating period for preventing severe consequences in the result of repetitive suicide attempts. Moreover antidepressants are used to deal with depressed condition of a person suffering from borderline personality disorder.