Introduction
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) signifies a psychological problem that arises mostly in teenagers and young adults. It has been established to affect about six percent of the whole population every year (Choi-Kain et al. 342-344). The American Psychiatric Association has established that three major factors cause borderline personality disorder and include environmental, serotonin, and genetic abnormalities. Being raised under unstable or negligent conditions might result in or be a causal aspect in the development of BPD. Irregularities in serotonin levels, a mood-regulating hormone, may make a person susceptible to the development of BPD. Borderline personality disorder is depicted by occurrences of mental instability, impulsive conduct, fuzzy self-imaging, and unsound relations, but is treatable.
Diagnosis and Characteristics
About 60 percent of the patients with borderline personality disorder are females (Biskin 230-233). People with BPD are found to have attributes such as unsteady personal relationships, the possibility of self-destructive conduct, impulsivity, a persistent occurrence of cognitive distortions, and anxiety of being abandoned. Strong clinging and manipulation characterize the interpersonal dealings of people with borderline personality disorder, and this makes interactions with them extremely challenging. In some instances, people with BPD seclude themselves or carefully select connections with others.
Attributable to an aspect of intense denial, people with BPD underrate or discredit the significance or worth of others (Choi-Kain et al. 343-344). This could at times result in the development of extreme anger when the individual they are interacting with tries to set restrictions on their closeness or when they are just about to separate. Individuals with borderline personality disorder employ manipulative conducts to influence their interrelations, for instance, they may complain concerning unfavorable incidences continuously or issue suicidal threats.
Impacts of the Disorder
Borderline personality disorder represents a psychological issue that leads to the occurrence of significant mental instability. The development of the disorder may trigger numerous traumatic incidents as well as psychological and behavioral problems. Furthermore, having BPD makes one prone to considerably poor self-image and a sense of worthlessness (Kaess et al. 782-785). Anger, impulsivity, and mood instabilities expressed by individuals with BPD may push other people away, regardless of their desire for a long-term and affable relationship (Biskin 230-232). Borderline personality disorder may influence negatively the manner in which a person feels about himself/herself or others, in addition to the way they interrelate with other people and their behavior.
Self-destructive conducts are apparent in people with borderline personality disorder and are usually referred to as the behavior specialty. Self-mutilation, drug overdose, and suicidal ideations are widespread in people with BPD. A wide pool of studies has established that approximately 10 percent of individuals with borderline personality disorder end up committing suicide (Choi-Kain et al. 346-348). People with BPD have also been found to create problems for law enforcement officials and medical professionals. The self-destructive actions mainly witnessed in individuals with the disorder may be caused by an unintended overdose, substance abuse, promiscuousness, and suicidal ideations to mention a few. Such people also develop low self-esteem.
Treatment
Biologically leaning medical experts use a variety of medications in treating individuals with BPD. Such medicines include anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and mood-regulating medicaments. However, it has been found that medication alone is not effective in patients attempting to improve from a severely impaired mental condition attributable to BPD. Improvement following the use of medicines might happen as a reduction of unsteady moods or elimination of impulsive behavior. Employing a range of remedial practices has proved to be successful in the treatment of BPD (Choi-Kain and Gunderson 34-36). On this note, having medication along with psychotherapy and the support of members of the family may be valuable in dealing with the multiple problems of people with borderline personality disorder.
Conclusion
BPD is a psychological problem that arises mainly in adolescents and young adults. The American Psychiatric Association has established environmental, serotonin, and genetic abnormalities to be the three major causes of borderline personality disorder. About 10% of individuals with BPD end up committing suicide. Some of the medicines used in the treatment of BPD are anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and mood-regulating medicaments. Nonetheless, having medication together with psychotherapy and the support of members of the family is valuable in effectively addressing the problems faced by people with borderline personality disorder.
Works Cited
Biskin, Robert. “Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder in Youth.” Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 22, no. 3, 2013, pp. 230-234.
Choi-Kain, Lois, and John Gunderson, editors. Borderline Personality and Mood Disorders. Springer-Verlag, 2016.
Choi-Kain, Lois, et al. “Evidence-Based Treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder: Implementation, Integration, and Stepped Care.” Harvard Review of Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 5, 2016, pp. 342-356.
Kaess, Michael, et al. “Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescence.” Pediatrics, vol. 134, no. 4, 2014, pp. 782-793.