Borderline Personality Disorder
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Individuals affected by borderline personality disorder have difficulty regulating their emotions, leading to severe mood swings, instability, impulsivity and poor self-image. People with BPD experience feelings intensely and often find it difficult to stabilize their emotions after intense episodes. A combination of genetics and environmental factors contribute to the development of BPD. More women than men are impacted by borderline personality disorder, with symptoms such as:
- Intense mood swings
- Fear of abandonment
- Impulsive behaviors which could lead to substance abuse, unsafe sex, reckless spending, or reckless driving
- Difficulty in personal relationships; seeing others as either “good” or “bad”, also known as “splitting”
- Distorted thinking and poor self-image
- Suicidal thinking or behavior
- Dissociative feelings; experiencing your thoughts as unreal or feeling as though you are “out of your body”. Psychotic episodes are also possible.
Diagnosing borderline personality disorder is challenging. Other mental health conditions may co-occur, such as anxiety or depression. Psychotherapy, including dialectical behavior therapy, and medication, provide the best outcomes for BPD. Therapeutic Oasis is a fully trained dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) facility, offering individual therapy, skills groups and other supporting therapies to help those dealing with BPD.