Borderline Personality Disorder is often used as a catch-all for both personality disorders and a spectrum of other psychological concerns. The collection of traits and symptoms from Borderline Personality Disorder can be severely isolating and devastating to those who fit this diagnostic pattern.
Common Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
The symptoms for Borderline Personality Disorder can be broken down into two categories: what the individual feels and the external behaviors that accompany these feelings.
For the individual, there will likely be a chronic feeling of emptiness, emotional instability to daily events, unstable self-image, inappropriate and intense anger, or stress-related paranoia. Additionally, there would likely be a pattern of suicidal threats or gestures, unstable and intense interpersonal relationships, impulsive behaviors, and frantic efforts to avoid perceived abandonment.
Borderline Personality Disorder and Relationships
Typically, individuals who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder have had some history of childhood trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. This often causes difficulty in maintaining stable relationships throughout their life. Individuals may be able to initiate relationships, but over time, these relationships become difficult to maintain because the attachment pattern sought by the individual tends to pull and push people away from them.
Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder and Counseling Options
Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder focuses on strategies to reduce the individual’s emotional reaction from interactions with others and building communication skills to improve their response. The primary modality that has been proven to be successful with Borderline Personality Disorder is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a form of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that focuses on immediate skills to manage the emotional reaction cycle.
Borderline Personality Disorder and Teens
The Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis cannot be prescribed to an individual under 18 years of age. While a teenager may exhibit this pattern of interaction, they may only be diagnosed with traits. It’s important to distinguish between typical adolescent behaviors, often expressing a need for individuation and independence, and this disorder, which will have a life-long effect on the individual.
Resources Available for Borderline Personality Disorder
Here are additional resources for cutting-edge treatments and identifiers for Borderline Personality Disorder.
- Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (Mayo Clinic)
- National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder
- Tips for identifying and managing BPD (Harvard University)
- Current research for Borderline Personality Disorder (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation)
If you or someone in your life has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, there is help in San Antonio. Our therapists at Green Mountain Counseling have worked with clients to build healthier relationships and patterns. Contact us to find out more about counseling or therapy services available for Borderline Personality Disorder.