Borderline Personality Disorder: How It Affects The Patient And Their Environment
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a type of personality disorder (PD) characterized by a long-term pattern in the patient of unstable relationships, distorted self-perception, extremely polarized and dichotomous thinking, and stronger and more passionate emotional reactions than normal. . Additionally, BPD patients have a tendency to deeply fear loneliness and abandonment.
Although it may seem like a condition limited to books and psychiatric clinics, it is worth noting that the prevalence of BPD in general society at any given time is 1.6% of the population, with a probability of occurring throughout the life of every individual of almost 6%. Although no gender biases have been detected in the majority of the population, it is known that the female population attends the clinic more to treat this disorder, in a ratio of 3 women for every affected man.
With all this data, we want to show that borderline personality disorder is much more common than it seems, and someone in your environment may even have received treatment to address it without you knowing it. You may even suffer from it, without yet being aware of it. In order to empathize, know and understand, today we will delve into how borderline personality disorder affects the patient and their environment.
As we have already said, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental condition in which a person has prolonged patterns of turbulent, disorganized, or unstable emotions. The patient’s inner experiences repeatedly cause him to behave impulsively and display chaotic relationships with other people. As a condition/pathology/clinical entity that it is, BPD can be objectively quantified.
The American Psychological Association publishes, from time to time, its clinical work Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). As indicated in the latest update (2013) of this diagnostic guide, a patient with BPD must meet the following requirements:
All of these symptoms are typical of the patient with BPD, but you do not have to present all 9 to be diagnosed. According to the DSM-V, 5 of them occurring from early adulthood to the time of diagnosis is sufficient.
The extent of BPD in the patient’s life and his environment
The pathophysiology of borderline personality disorder appears to be based on a genetic component that encodes neurological abnormalities and a clear environmental influence. For example, neuroimaging studies have identified variations in the patient with BPD in the amygdala, hippocampus and temporal lobes, compared to people who do not manifest the condition.
Furthermore, it should be noted that The patient with BPD is much more likely to show comorbidity with other pathologiessuch as mood disorders (88% of patients), anxiety disorders (88%), substance abuse disorders (64%), eating disorders (54%), ADHD (10-30% ), bipolar disorder (15%) and somatoform disorders (10%).
Based on these figures, we can say that BPD affects the patient in many more areas than it might initially seem. One of the main traits is, without a doubt, the fear of abandonment and rejection. A person with type BPD will feel, for example, that her life is not complete without her partner and that he cannot be without her, a trait that also incurs the symptoms of dependent personality disorder (DPD).
You will also have a greater proclivity to carry out acts that you later regret, such as spending too much, driving recklessly, entering the world of gambling, sabotaging success or suddenly cutting off a relationship that was actually positive. The environment, therefore, will perceive the patient with BPD as a volatile, chaotic person with behaviors that are difficult to explain. To the outside world, the TLP is synonymous with instability.
The environment may also perceive clear emotional blackmail on the part of the patient.. In order not to be alone, he or she may resort to threats, thoughts of suicide or even self-harm, in order not to see himself abandoned at any time. Unconsciously, the person is making third parties responsible for their pain who have no business managing it, which fosters a very marked toxicity in interpersonal relationships in BPD cases.
In the most marked cases, the patient may not finish his studies, have legal problems due to his impulsiveness, get involved in abusive relationships, fall into an addiction (substance use disorder) and even experience frequent hospitalizations due to self-harm. in critical moments. Without a doubt, this condition must be addressed before any of these events take place.
BPD can be treated
If you have BPD and have been reading these lines, don’t be discouraged. You are not a worse person, less valid or less deserving of receiving support and affection from those around you. Many people express this condition throughout their lives and, luckily, it can be treated.
The first step is always to go to psychotherapy: mentalization-based therapy (MBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) give very good results, in prolonged treatments lasting several months.
On the other hand, the pharmacological field is also usually used in patients who require it. Although they do not treat the condition on their own, antidepressants (SSRIs), mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics can help with anxiety attacks, self-harm impulses, and many more events. With proper therapy and medical support, this disorder can be regulated.
If you are interested in having therapeutic support for an addiction, we invite you to contact us to start a treatment process as soon as possible. At Despertares PsicologÃas we have been working for many years in the field of mental health and therapy adapted to all types of psychological disorders, and we can help you from any of our centers distributed among the main cities of the Community of Madrid.
