Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms and Treatments

From Springbrook Hospital –

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a type of personality disorder that presents with far-reaching symptoms. This means individuals with BPD experience long-term disruptive or unhealthy thought patterns, feelings, and ways of functioning and behaving. Moreover, struggling to adapt to situations and relate to others is common for people with BPD. However, every person experiences borderline personality disorder symptoms differently. If you experience intense and changing emotions that disrupt your daily life, it may be time to seek help. Springbrook Behavioral Hospital can help you learn to manage your BPD one day at a time.

What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition that impacts the way individuals feel about themselves and others. Not to be confused with bipolar disorder, BPD is characterized by intense and unstable emotions that often lead to a warped self-perception and unstable relationships. Those with BPD also have a higher risk of suicide and self-destructive behavior if they are not receiving treatment for their borderline personality disorder symptoms.

It’s estimated that over one percent of the population is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Although more women have an official diagnosis, research suggests men and women are equally likely to have it. The reason men don’t get diagnosed with BPD as often may be because they are less likely to seek mental health services. Additionally, they are more often misdiagnosed with depression or PTSD.

Common misconceptions about BPD make it difficult for adults to find the help they need. Moreover, the confusion about the disorder sometimes discourages those who live with BPD from talking about their experiences. Education is the first step in understanding borderline personality disorder symptoms and what can be done to make them more manageable.

Understanding and Recognizing Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms

Individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder experience a variety of symptoms that affect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Many of those living with borderline personality experience difficulties with:

• Mood swings and intense emotions that can last from hours to a few days
• Feeling uncontrollable and intense anger
• Coping with feelings of emptiness and a deep fear of abandonment
• Managing healthy relationships because they tend to be seen as either perfect or horrible
• Feeling insecure about your identity, which may change depending on who you’re around
• Impulsivity and engaging in harmful behaviors such as binge eating, using drugs and alcohol, and having unsafe sex
• Paranoid thoughts or dissociating in stressful situations
• Self-harming behavior and suicidal thoughts

Those diagnosed with BPD often experience other mental health disorders including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Substance use disorders

Everyone’s experience with BPD is different. Therefore, not everyone displays all of the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Moreover, those living with borderline personality experience the disorder in unique ways. Finding a program that provides individualized treatment is the most beneficial way to learn how to manage your symptoms in the long run.

Causes of BPD

The causes of borderline personality are still being studied but healthcare professionals believe it stems from a combination of factors including:

• Genetics: While there is no specific gene linked to the cause of BPD, research suggests that a family history of borderline personality disorder can put you at a higher risk of developing the disorder.
• Brain development: Emotional regulation is different for those with BPD, suggesting a neurological basis for many of the disorder’s core symptoms. This may be the result of miscommunication between portions of the brain in control of emotions and judgment.
• Environmental factors: Those who experienced traumatic events during childhood, including physical and sexual abuse, have a higher risk of developing BPD.

There isn’t a test individuals can take to diagnose borderline personality disorder. BPD is diagnosed by a mental health professional through comprehensive evaluations. They will determine if your symptoms meet the criteria for borderline personality disorder symptoms.

Treatment Options for Borderline Personality Disorder

Knowing when it’s time to seek professional help for your borderline personality disorder symptoms can be challenging. Although symptoms are long-term, they don’t have to rule your life. The mental health professionals at Springbrook Behavioral Hospital have the necessary experience to help you overcome obstacles caused by your BPD.

The most effective treatment plans take into consideration co-existing conditions you may have alongside your borderline personality disorder symptoms. For many adults with BPD, the goal of treatment is learning long-term coping mechanisms for emotional dysregulation and managing other core symptoms. The intensive treatment program at Springbrook Behavioral Hospital helps patients identify sources of stress and impairment before guiding them through evidence-based treatment options designed to help them overcome these triggers.

Some of the treatment modalities available at Springbrook Behavioral Hospital include:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Support groups
• Family therapy
• Supplemental therapy
• Medication education and management
• Discharge and aftercare planning

We also provide crisis stabilization and symptom reduction to patients who arrive in distress. Patients in need of crisis care receive immediate assistance in a structured and safe environment. This prevents individuals from being a danger to themselves as they are brought back to a level of stability.

Those struggling with severe borderline personality disorder symptoms will benefit the most from our residential treatment program. Here, patients are supported by physicians, nurses, therapists, as well as addiction specialists if they are receiving dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders. Moreover, your treatment plan will help you reach your recovery goals inside and outside the center.

Start Managing Your Symptoms Today

Springbrook Behavioral Hospital provides comprehensive treatment to help you manage your mental health. With our 24-hour psychiatric services and flexible partial hospitalization program, you will get all the support you need to confidently begin recovery.

Don’t wait to call our admissions experts at 352-600-3288 if your borderline personality disorder symptoms are preventing you from living a fulfilling life. You can also submit a confidential contact form online. Our team is here to help you find long-term symptom management techniques to keep your BPD in check.

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Original Author: Springbook Hospital