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BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Borderline Personality Disorder is a severe, chronic, disabling and potentially lethal psychiatric condition: (Borderline Personality Disorder Research foundation) and for an individual to be diagnosed with this condition they must have five of nine symptoms that are outlined in the DMS-IV.  Kolb and Gunderson (9/7/01) categorize these nine symptoms into four groups, affective instability, behavioral issues, personal identity issues and relationship difficulties.  Affective instability involves an alteration in the intensity of emotions or mood commonly referred to use dysphoria, this normally lasts from a few hours to a few days.  Affective instability also involves intense and/or inappropriate expression of anger.  The individual may also experience behavioral traits that are potentially self-damaging, such as highly impulsivity, self-mutilation, alcohol and drug abuse, excessive overeating and suicidal idealization.  The individual may also experience chronic feelings of emptiness, and relationships are often difficult and often unstable and chaotic characterized by primitive defenses such as splitting, and magically thinking, omnipotence and projection.  In their relationships with others and interactions, bpd’s are sensitive to criticism and rejection and often demand affection and reassurance.  In rare cases they may experiences paranoid idealization and severe disassociation.

 Borderline Personality Disorder can cause eight potential threats (Falvo:1991), to the roles of individuals and their functioning in society.  Life and physical well-being are threatened by the behavioral  characteristics of Borderline such as acts of self-destruction, impulsiveness and Para suicide.  75% of Borderlines have these traits, carrying the risk that they will actually kill themselves or cause some permanent damage to their physical anatomy.

 The presence of behavioral traits can threaten the individuals control and independence and their life goals, and future plans.  Depression often accompanies the Borderline symptoms, which causes a lack of outlook for the future, and preoccupation with self-destruction.  The presence of Borderline Personality disorder has a potential threat to financial stability, as many can not retain full time paid employment.

 The mixed reactions and poor interpersonal skills of an individual with BPD has the potential to turn relationships into chaos and totally destroy them.  Those interacting with the person may feel like they are continually walking on eggshells, one minute the focus of intense rage, the next the object of love, and the next the object receiving abuse and false accusations.  DR Leland Heller states that “the symptoms can be so unpleasant for those interacting with the borderline, that feelings of compassion and understanding may be difficult or impossible to feel… there illness makes them seem unlovable.”  This inability to sustain healthy relationships can cause the individual to become dangerously isolated and result in inappropriate relationships to fill the friendship gap.

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