Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is the personality disorder that is most commonly recognised in the UK. It is a disorder of how a person interacts with others and their mood that generally emerges in adolescence and persists into adulthood.
Symptoms
Symptoms can range from mild to severe and are grouped into four main areas. . Cognitive distortions or perceptual distortions, which involves disturbed patterns of perceptions or thinking. . Affective dysregulation, which in layman’s terms means emotional instability. . Intense but often unstable relationships with other people. . Impulsive behaviour
If you are experiencing symptoms, you should, in the first instance, make an appointment with your GP. BPD does have similarities with other common mental health disorders like depression, so it is important that these are ruled out first before progressing to treatment.
Treating BPD
The good news is that there are psychological and medical treatments that can benefit people suffering from BPD. For those wanting to understand how to treat BPD and other mental health disorders, there are training options throughout the country, and a relevant internet search can show you what is available. For example, people in the south-west might search for ‘mental health training courses Plymouth’, to get results like tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/plymouth.
If you or a loved one are suffering from BPD, treatments that may be suggested by your GP or a mental health specialist can include individual and group psychological therapies. While these treatments are beneficial, they are not a quick fix and you can expect treatment to last more than a year.
Over time, many people do recover. However, if symptoms return, this will likely mean additional treatment.
What causes BPD?
It is not known for certain what causes BPD, with sufferers coming from many different backgrounds. It is likely that it is related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Many, although not all, will have had some neglect or suffered a trauma as a child. With stigma around mental health fading, more people feel comfortable coming forward with their symptoms, something that may lead to a greater understanding of the cause.