Preventative Awareness- Borderline Personality Disorder

Intriguing and often difficult to see, a person may find themselves feeling angry, frustrated, self doubting and helpless as the Borderline person they are involved with, pulls them into a deep web of manipulation. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) was first described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Illness in 1980.

The hallmark of the disorder is characterized by disturbed and unstable interpersonal relationships and self image. Individuals with BPD have difficulty interpreting reality and view significant people in their lives as completely flawless or extremely unfair and uncaring (a phenomenon known as Splitting).  

Symptoms of BPD include: - Rage or frantic actions to real or perceived abandonment - Pattern of intense stormy relationships (extremely close to extreme dislike) - Distorted self image and self harming behaviors ( scratching or hitting themselves) -  sudden changes in opinion, feelings or values ( mirroring the idolized person) - chronic feelings of emptiness - inappropriate intense anger Women are more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder. Causes are thought to be genetic or environmental and begin during adolescence or early adulthood.  Borderline personality disorder is very difficult to treat. A person suffering from the disorder usually does not realize the problem.

The Borderline typically present themselves as the victim. They skillfully manipulate others into pleasing them. This is usually done willingly in attempts to avoid violent rages of anger from the Borderline. The most effective treatments for BPD include Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical behavior Therapy and Schema Focused Therapy. Borderlines have no sense of self or emotional skin. They constantly need positive reinforcement from others to survive. After a relationship ends they tend to migrate towards groups of people who are expected to be accepting (church groups, clubs, cults).

Once the Borderline is falsely secure in his or her new skin, they move on to their next inevitably doomed relationship. If you find yourself involved with a Borderline, try to be supportive. Do your best to involve other family and friends for help and support. If this fails, you owe it to yourself to get out! Ending the relationship will not fix the problem, but will spare you a future full of torment and frustration.