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Borderline personality disorder or BPD for short is a mental illness
defined by the instability of moods, affects relationships, self-image
and behaviour. The disruptions to the person's life will very often affect
family and work life and will also have an effect on long term planning
and those suffering from the illness will have a tendency to self-injury.
What are the symptoms of BPD?
BPD differs from other similar anxiety disorders in that people suffering
from the illness experience intense bouts of anger, anxiety, depression
and fear rather than those feelings being there for the vast majority
of time as seen in the person suffering from depression or bipolar disorder.
The bouts of anger or depression can last as little as a couple of hours
at any one time or at the very most a day.
During this time, the episodes are associated with self-injury, drug or
alcohol abuse and distortions in cognition and sense of low self-esteem
can lead to problems with long-term goals, relationships, friendship and
career opportunities.
The majority of people suffering from BPD often see themselves as bad
or unworthy and as such very often feel isolated and misunderstood and
these feelings may lead to frantic efforts to not be alone.
Those suffering from BPD will often show other impulsive behaviour disorders
such as excessive spending, binge eating and having multiple partners
for sex. It is an illness which often goes hand in hand with bipolar disorder,
anxiety disorders, depression and other personality disorders.
Treatment for borderline personality disorder
Treatments for the condition have vastly improved over the last few years
with group or individual psychotherapy being an effective treatment for
many patients suffering from the illness.
A relatively new form of treatment called dialectical behaviour therapy
has also shown to be very promising in recent studies; other forms of
treatment available are medications such as anti-depressant drugs and
mood stabilisers.
Recent studies
Although the exact cause of BPD is unknown it is thought that genetic
factors play a role in developing the illness, abuse, stress and neglect
have also been linked to the illness with between 40 and 71% of people
studied who had BPD suffering some form of abuse when children.
Adults who are suddenly affected by the illness have been shown to have
suffered from some form of violence prior to the onset of BPD and studies
are showing that changes to brain mechanisms may also be a factor.
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