Assessing Borderline Personality Disorder
Amanda Kissling
Millersville University Introduction Treating individuals with Borderline Personality Disorders presents unique challenges for Clinicians and other service workers. Borderline personality disorder is described in the DSM-V as a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, (as well as) marked impulsivity (2013). Symptoms typically begin to present themselves in late adolescents and early adulthood with symptoms decreasing in severity with age. The DSM-V explains that individuals with BPD experience intense fear of abandonment, identity disturbance, suicidal and self-harm behaviors, and difficulty regulating mood, especially anger. Individuals with BPD typically experience delays in emotional awareness, emotional modulation, and impulse control. They are easily bored and typically rely heavily on others for attention, as they have difficulty entertaining themselves. (DSM-V, 2013) These intense symptoms make it difficult to successfully treat individuals with BPD. Many sources, including the DSM-V suggest that 1.6% of our population suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, with percentages being much larger among impatient and outpatient populations (2013). Due to the debilitating nature of the disorder, many individuals seek help from a mental health professional. According to Tomko et. al, the average health care costs accrued per year for patients with
Most patients of borderline personality disorder suffer from problems regulating emotions and thoughts, impulsive and reckless behavior, and unstable relationships with other people. People with this disorder have high rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Oftentimes, it leads to self-harm, and suicidal behaviors.
In order to be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), a patient must show “impairments in personality (self and interpersonal) functioning and the presence of pathological personality traits”, all of which are listed in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (2013). According to the DSM V, a patient must have an identity disorder which includes having “unstable self-image, often associated with excessive self-criticism” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A patient must also demonstrate impairments in empathy, which involves a “compromised ability to recognize the feelings and needs of others associated with interpersonal hypersensitivity” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This criterion does not mean
What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Defined by the website www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com, “Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness that causes unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. It usually begins during adolescence or early adulthood.” One may wonder what can be the cause of this disorder. BPD can be detected by an in-person interview about the symptoms that are occurring. The input from family and close friends of the individual that is being treated can also help detect the symptoms. The causes for BPD are not fully
Borderline personality disorder can include many aspects: instability in mood regulation, impulse control, difficulties in interpersonal relationships and self-image. (Lieb et al, 2004) Jaynelle has experienced all of these at some time in her life. She grew up stealing from Safeway to be able to eat, uprooting her family to move with multiple boyfriends, and she overreacts when she thinks she is being slighted by social services. She is quick to anger and lashes out when provoked.
The objective of this study is to describe the assessment and care of a client with borderline personality disorder. This work will additionally demonstrate the complexity of the problems and needs of this client and how this impacts on their illness and service providers. Additionally this work will describe the client's particular mental health problems, discuss possible causative factors and describe how the person was assessed and what interventions were used to help them. Evaluate the effectiveness of these assessments and interventions with reference to published literature, policy and legislation.
The use of the term borderline has however, resulted in a heated controversy between the health care fraternity and patients. Patients argue that this term appears to be somehow discriminatory and that it should be removed and the disorder renamed. Patients point out that an alternative name, such as emotionally unstable personality disorder, should be adopted instead of borderline personality disorder. Clinicians, on the other hand, argue that there is nothing wrong with the use of the term borderline. Opponents of this term argue that the terms used to describe persons suffering from this disorder, such as demanding, treatment resistant, and difficult among others, are discriminatory. These terms may create a negative feeling of health professionals towards patients, an aspect that may lead to adoption of negative responses that may trigger self-destructive behavior (Giesen-Bloo et al, 2006). The fact however, is that the term borderline has been misunderstood and misused so much that any attempt to redefine it is pointless leaving scrapping the term as the only option.
The aspect of BPD that drew me towards it was the notion that it is a more widespread mental illness than people think, often tied down to difficulties in diagnosing it due to crossovers with other illnesses such as depression which uses similar diagnosis criterion from the DSM V. In fact BPD affects 50% more people than Alzheimer’s disease and nearly as many as schizophrenia and bipolar combined (2.25%). There are a number of treatments available including new advances in epigenetics meaning a potential for more effective medication, as well as ' talking therapy ' treatments such as schema based therapy, metallization therapy and dialectal behaviour therapy which I am going to evaluate in order to decide according to scientific evidence and application what the most effective treatment for BPD is at present. The most effective treatment will be decided upon a
Other symptoms of borderline personality disorder include efforts to avoid abandonment, impulsive behavior, distorted sense of self, chronic feelings of emptiness, inappropriate and intense anger or problems controlling anger, stress related to paranoid thoughts, a pattern of unstable relationships with family, friends, and loved ones. Mood and emotion are often swinging from extreme dislike or rage andhaving feelings to harm themselves such as cutting themselve out of the world, observing themselves from outside the body and feeling vulnuarable, or losing touch with reality (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). The symptoms can be triggered by minor separations, such as vacations and sudden change of plans (Chapman and Gratz 2013). Chapman and Gratz also stated when an individual has borderline personality disorder they have unstable emotions, one minute the person can feel joyful and then suddenly they can have intense negative emotions. Emotions that are most common and are particularly tough for people with borderline personality disorder includes sadness, shame, loneliness, fear, and anger toward themselves. People with borderline personality disorder often fear rejection and abandonment, especially when it comes to
Borderline personality disorder is a serious personality disorder. “Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental disorder marked by a pattern of ongoing instability in moods, behavior, self-image, and functioning.” Approximately two percent of the population suffers from this disorder. Six million people alone in the United States. Women are more likely to have borderline personality disorder than men. One out of every thirty three women are likely to suffer from this disorder. Out of every one hundred men have borderline personality disorder. Borderline Personality disorder is due to disturbances in the brain pathways that control emotion and impulse control. To be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder you must be at
Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) include a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and is marked impulsivity. BPD begins in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. Alice Klieg displays 6 of
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious and complex mental disorder involving maladaptive behaviors and multiple symptoms. This disorder often occurs in the context of relationships and can have a chaotic effect not only on the individual with BPD but also on their loved ones. According to the NIMH, “borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness characterized by unstable moods, behavior, and relationship”.9 A primary character of BPD is behavioral and emotional dysregulation. These behaviors are difficult
According to the DSM-5, Personality Disorders are characterized by “impairments in personality functioning and the presence of pathological personality traits”. Borderline Personality Disorder is one of ten personality disorders listed in the DSM-5. The DSM-5 lists several criteria that must be met in order for someone to be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. They are quoted as follows:
One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.
The main feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and emotions. People with borderline personality disorder are also usually very impulsive.
“Personality disorders have been documented in approximately 9 percent of the general U.S. population” (Angstman, Rasmussen, 2011). Emotional dysregulation disorder or its common name borderline personality disorder is a very serious and chronic disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) describes borderline personality disorder as “a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity that begins by early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts” (Gardner, 2006). Within the last 20 years, psychologists and other mental health professionals have made tremendous strides in research on what exactly borderline personality disorder, some of its triggers and possible effective treatment options. Borderline personality disorder is defined as a disorder that generates severe emotional instability which can be a springboard that can lead to other stress induced mental and behavioral problems.