Borderline Personality Disorder: What Is It and How to Treat It?

If you suffer from borderline personality disorder, you may feel as though you are trapped inside your mind and experience extreme highs and lows. You might also struggle with relationships, work, school, and finances.

These problems can cause significant stress and anxiety. However, you can live a happy and healthy life with proper treatment.

This article will discuss treatment options for borderline personality disorder and explore the potential causes of this mental illness.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health diagnosis used to describe someone whose behavior patterns fall somewhere between those of a person with antisocial personality disorder and those of a person with major depression.

Who does BPD affect?

BPD affects about 1% of adults and is marked by extreme mood swings, strong feelings, impulsive actions, self-injury, and thoughts of suicide.

While it is often associated with depression, BPD is a separate diagnosis. In fact, many people with BPD do not experience symptoms of depression.

However, some people with BPD feel depressed, anxious, or hopeless. Others experience emotional numbness or isolation. For a few, it can even lead to hallucinations or delusions.

BPD Side Effects

Mental illness, especially BPD, can be very distressing to a person’s emotional well-being. Suicide, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders are all common BPD side effects.

BPD patients experience extreme highs and lows in emotion, and it can be hard to decipher what’s real and what isn’t. Therefore, it’s difficult for them to maintain strong relationships and get things done efficiently at work.

Symptoms and Causes

Extreme mood swings and an inability to determine one’s identity are borderline personality disorder symptoms. This type of disorder causes people to have difficulties with self-awareness and identity.

Symptoms include feeling empty, angry, anxious, depressed, guilty, fearful, ashamed, and suicidal.

What causes borderline personality disorder?

Studies indicate that people who grow up under certain conditions are more likely to suffer from BPD. Research suggests that abuse and neglect during childhood increase the risk of developing BDP as well.

Diagnosis

Borderline Personality Disorder is a serious mental illness that affects people differently. Some people can cope well, while others struggle with symptoms such as impulsivity, emotional instability, and suicidal thoughts.

Healthcare professionals will usually diagnose someone by conducting a detailed interview with the patient, administering an in-depth psychological evaluation, reviewing medical history, and discussing current signs and symptoms the patient may be experiencing.

Support

Just because someone has been labeled with borderline personality disorder doesn’t mean they have character flaws. Many people with BPD have supportive networks of loved ones.

Mental health professionals work closely with families and friends to learn how to best support them.

Management and Treatment

People with BPD are often diagnosed with other mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, or posttraumatic stress disorder.

There’s new research showing that people with BPD, like those with other mental illnesses, respond better to treatment when it includes both medication and psychotherapy.

Does TMS work for borderline personality disorder?

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) is another treatment that has been shown to be effective, especially for those who suffer from both BPD and depression.

While medication for BPD and depression can be similar, pharmaceuticals are often used in conjunction with more traditional therapies, like CBT therapy, to help treat BPD patients.

NeuroSpa Therapy Centers

NeuroSpa Therapy Centers is a premier mental healthcare provider with seven locations throughout Tampa, Florida.

We offer compassionate care to all patients through tailored treatment plans and care programs to suit each patient’s specific needs.

Here are some of the effective treatments and therapies we offer to people living with borderline personality disorder:

  • Talk therapy
  • Psychiatric care
  • TMS therapy
  • Ketamine therapy
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Sleep evaluation
  • Supplemental medicine

Book a free consultation today to begin your treatment plan with NeuroSpa Therapy Centers!

This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

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