General considerations about borderline personality disorder

Borderline syndrome is a severe mental disorder that has some specific defining characteristics. These characteristics can be the starting point for professionals in the field to seek deeper diagnoses in order to have proof of the disorder in question.

One of the characteristics of Borderline Disorder that are most common in patients is the fact that these people rely on unstable behavior, which can affect various aspects of life, such as mood and self-image issues.

All the points linked to the disorder, consequently, directly affect the functioning of the people who suffer from the syndrome in several moments of their lives. To understand more about the Borderline Disorder and some common characteristics, keep reading!

Understanding borderline personality disorder

To understand and diagnose the borderline disorder in depth, it is necessary to have the help of a professional who is qualified to do so. He or she will give the necessary orientation and may have the tools and means to perform tests and evaluations that will prove the syndrome. Read below about the Borderline Disorder in detail!

What is borderline disorder?

In general, the borderline syndrome is a mental disorder considered to be severe, which has some specific actions. This is because, in general, the people who suffer from this disorder have some very clear and specific ways of acting, such as instability in daily behavior demonstrated through mood swings, for example.

Other actions of patients affected by the disorder can be noted through attitudes of insecurity, impulsiveness, feelings of worthlessness, and emotional instability. Finally, these actions cause intense effects on the social relationships of patients affected by the syndrome.

Meaning of the term and its origin

The term used to denote the disorder comes from a common English word, borderline. In a free and simplified translation, it says something like "borderline". The origin of the term for this purpose came from psychoanalysis, to define patients who were not classified within other existing terms.

In this case, they would be like neurotics (people who are anxious) and psychotics (people who see reality in a totally distorted way), but would be in an area in between. The first use of the term borderline was made by the American psychoanalyst Adolph Stern, in the year 1938.

Which subjects are part of the spectrum?

To understand what borderline disorder looks like, one must first understand that there are several points to be evaluated in order to have a clear diagnosis. To fit an individual into something of this nature, one must be very careful, as it is not an easy process to perform.

Therefore, it is necessary for the responsible professional to submit this patient to several types of evaluation and tests necessary to be sure. But in this case, there are three spectrums that relate to the personality disorders in which this syndrome is found.

Borderline disorder falls within the B spectrum, where people who are considered complicated, difficult, unpredictable, or dramatic are gathered.

How common is the occurrence?

There is no precision about the occurrence of borderline disorder at the present time, and there are no statistics that can prove whether it is common or not in individuals.

But it is estimated that, among the world population, these represent about 2%. However, this proportion can reach up to 5.9% due to the fact that many people end up suffering from these disorders, but do not have an accurate and clear diagnosis about the situation.

Is borderline personality disorder curable?

There is no way to affirm that the personality disorders in which the borderline personality is found have a cure. In general, the patients are submitted to constant treatment accompanied by mental health professionals and, over time, depending on the severity of the disorder in each one, they may experience improvements.

But it cannot be said that the disorders will completely disappear with proper treatment. This is because no study or research has been able to prove this to be a possible reality.

Signs of borderline in everyday situations

Even though it is advisable to make a diagnosis with a suitable professional who will make all the difference in the process, from identifying the type of mental disorder suffered to finding the appropriate treatment, some symptoms are very common to appear in patients dealing with borderline personality disorder and can be noticed on a daily basis, making the search for professional help easier.

Among the most common, it is notable that people dealing with this syndrome show very great efforts to avoid abandonment, whether imagined by them or real.

Their relationships are usually unstable and very intense in a negative way. They are people with a very pronounced emotional instability and act with a lot of impulsiveness, which can even be self-destructive.

The main symptoms of borderline disorder

Understanding the symptoms of borderline disorder can make it easier for people who do not have a correct diagnosis or who are around people dealing with these problems to seek help.

Therefore, it is important to know the main symptoms so that help is sought as soon as possible, in order to alleviate these symptoms. Below, learn about the main symptoms of the borderline disorder!

Unstable relationships

People who suffer from the borderline disorder have difficulties in their relationships in general. They are unstable and end up being much more intense in a negative way.

Thus, there is an alternation in the behavior of these individuals in their relationships, which shows them as people who take situations to the extreme, for example. Because of this, they end up either idealizing a relationship a lot, or devaluing it completely. This is because if the partner fails to fulfill the patient's idealization, he or she is seen as bad and starts to be belittled.

Constant fear of abandonment and efforts to avoid it

A very common characteristic of people who suffer from the borderline disorder is the dependence on other people, be it friends or love relationships. They suffer from the fear of abandonment, even if it is only happening in their minds and is not something concrete and real.

This fear leads them to do everything to avoid the conclusion of this abandonment situation. Moreover, this process can even be triggered by everyday situations, such as delays, for example.

Development of negative habits

People facing borderline disorder may also exhibit some negative behaviors to their life, both in the emotional and physical area.

Thus, it is recurrent that patients dealing with this syndrome present gestures or behaviors that threaten their own health and well-being. This type of attitude, in general, comes from the fact that these people find in these negative and even self-mutilating behaviors a way to extravasate the feeling that they cannot cope with.

Self-destructive impulsivity

Patients dealing with borderline disorder show as part of their common behaviors a very large impulsiveness, which can cause problems in various aspects of their lives.

To deal with the constant feelings of emptiness and even rejection, these people usually resort to behaviors that will provide them with some relief, even if only immediately.

So there is a possibility that they develop a compulsion for alcohol and drugs, or just deal with food in the wrong way, with very restrictive diets or overeating, such as binge eating.

Suicide threats and self-injurious behavior

One of the most serious behaviors demonstrated by patients suffering from borderline disorder is self-mutilation. In more severe cases of the syndrome, it is common that these people end up using these resources to feel better.

Because of this, patients facing this disorder end up injuring themselves with cuts, burns, and other forms, so that they can release all the conflicting and extreme feelings going on in their minds, especially during more severe crises.

Instability of self-image and self-perception

The way patients with borderline disorder deal with their images is quite intense and complicated, in general, because they end up understanding other people's behavior in a very intense and unrealistic way.

This is due to the fact that these people find a certain comfort in believing that because they are ugly, for example, others don't want them in relationships. There is also a constant feeling that individuals shy away from them for some reason similar to this or because they don't find them good company.

Mood reactivity

A very common and general characteristic among patients dealing with mental disorders, especially borderline personality disorder, is that they suffer from very abrupt and intense mood swings.

One way to understand this aspect of the disorder is to realize that while patients are at one moment well, the next moment they may be feeling completely the opposite.

For these people, life happens as if it were a roller coaster of emotions, where everything can change from one minute to the next. Good and pleasant moments turn into pure anxiety and sadness in a matter of minutes.

Feeling of emptiness

For people who are constantly dealing with the situations caused in their lives by the borderline disorder, it is common for them to feel as if they are totally empty and in search of something to fill this endless hole.

There is always a chronic feeling that life is empty and that nothing can fill this space inside the chest for these people. This existential emptiness can be manifested by these patients as a lack of purpose or something that they want in their lives, because they don't see beyond it in this way.

Difficulty in containing anger

A very common characteristic of the borderline disorder to be noticed in patients facing the syndrome is the fact that they find it very difficult to contain their feelings, especially those related to anger. They are easily angered by everything that happens in their day and end up having totally disproportionate and very intense reactions.

For this reason, it is very common for these people to take unreasonable attitudes in situations in which this type of attitude is not appropriate, and they may even resort to physical aggression because of this. The consequence of this characteristic of borderlines is a great deal of regret and guilt after the act has been carried out.

Transient dissociative symptoms

Other clear symptoms that are presented in patients suffering from borderline disorder is the fact that stressful situations can be a reason for them to believe that they are acting against them.

There is a tendency to create thoughts of this nature that the people around are acting in a conspiratorial manner. In this case, individuals build up a paranoia about something that is not actually happening.

Another point of these transient dissociative symptoms is shown through actions in which this person ends up leaving reality and loses contact with it. These, however, are transient symptoms and not persistent, as in the case of other mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

The most common causes of borderline personality disorder

After knowing the symptoms and the ways in which the borderline disorder can present itself in different patients, it is also important to know the reasons why there is this manifestation.

There are three common causes for the disorder to be triggered in patients. It is important to emphasize that, as in other disorders, there is no single cause. Therefore, it is important to make a thorough analysis of the patient and his medical and family history. See below the main causes of the borderline disorder!

Genetics

One of the possibilities of the cause of the borderline disorder is genetics. Thus, the patient may have inherited it from other relatives. According to studies and scientific proof, the disorder is about five times more common among first-degree biological relatives of the sufferers.

Another point of this question points to a known familial risk related to substance abuse, for example. Therefore, the individual may have genetics as the cause of this disorder.

Physiology

One aspect that can be raised regarding the individual suffering from the borderline disorder is the fact that brain changes may be the cause. These are directly associated with impulses and also with mood swings, which may be sufficient reasons for the cause of the mental disorders.

Thus, in relation to physiology, the patient may suffer from the disorder due to changes that exist in his or her brain that cause these devastating effects.

Environment

The environmental factor is also discussed at the time when the complete and thorough diagnosis of the patient potentially suffering from borderline disorder is made. In this case, some issues will be raised in the process, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect, conflicts or even death of people who make up the family nucleus in an early way.

Other issues can also be raised within this aspect of the environment, such as substance abuse such as alcohol, drugs, and others that can cause behavioral changes.

The diagnosis and treatment

It is important to point out that, since this is a complex syndrome with many symptoms and details that can be confused, it is necessary that, at the slightest sign or suspicion of borderline disorder, potential patients seek the help of an appropriate professional.

In general, this process can be accomplished in a few ways. Below, you will see the main points that are raised by professionals in the field to evaluate patients suffering from this disorder!

The diagnosis

The process of getting a clear diagnosis regarding mental disorders such as borderline requires a lot of attention from professionals and also from patients, because the symptoms and details can be confusing and wrongly attributed to other syndromes.

There is no specific test, be it an imaging or blood test, that can achieve this complete diagnosis.

The patient will be evaluated by a mental health professional with this specification to analyze symptoms and history. This evaluation will consider all the points already highlighted, such as family issues, substance abuse, and others.

The treatment

As for the treatment, the borderline patients will be directed according to what is identified by the professional. In this case, they will be evaluated in a broad way to find a form of treatment that will ease the symptoms shown.

Therefore, it is necessary that the professional evaluates all aspects of his life and also concludes the severity of the disorder in order for the treatment to be directed in this way. Thus, psychotherapy is an important process for these patients, because it will have the essential tools to ease the symptoms presented by those suffering from borderline disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

One of the tools used by professionals in the field to help patients suffering from borderline disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy. The idea within this practice is for the individual to become aware regarding the feelings and also the thought patterns that are behind all of their behaviors and actions that are potentially destructive to life.

Thus, it is useful to be able to control some actions of borderline patients, especially those who suffer from issues such as eating disorders and substance abuse.

Dialectical behavior therapy

Another method used by professionals is dialectical behavioral therapy. In this case, it was developed to assist patients who suffer from more severe actions within the borderline disorder.

It was created specifically to attend to those hospitalized due to situations caused by the disorder, such as self-mutilation or other serious practices. This is a practice that is currently considered to have the best actions for patients facing borderline.

The transference-focused therapy

Transference-focused therapy is used by professionals to treat patients suffering from borderline disorder using several different practices, such as psychodynamic therapy, inspired by actions performed within psychoanalysis, which takes into account the existence of the unconscious.

In this practice, the patient will talk to the therapist about everything from current events in their life to past moments, with the goal of stimulating the patient's speech and reflection.

Family therapy

There is also a practice that can be used if the professional notices the need for the aspects of the borderline patient to be brought to other people. In this case, it will be family therapy or also couple therapy, if necessary.

The focus in this case will be on resolving conflicts of this nature: the patient's relationship with these people, whether their spouses or the people in their family. The purpose of this therapy is to put these conflicts on the agenda so that they can be resolved, since the surrounding family members can be the aggravators of the disorder.

How to help and deal with moments of crisis

Patients dealing with mental disorders suffer daily with crises and situations that end up triggering the behaviors shown through the main symptoms of borderline syndrome.

There are some ways to ease the symptoms during these crises, which, as much as they may subside as treatment progresses, still appear at some specific times in the lives of patients suffering from these disorders. So, here are some ways to help people suffering from borderline disorder during a crisis below!

How to help those with borderline disorder?

People who suffer from the borderline disorder need to seek the help of a professional. But, in case this evaluation has already been done and the patient is in the process of treatment, when a crisis caused by the syndrome arises, it is important to take some care so that the help does not cause even more problems. This is because this attitude is not something easy to do.

The first point is to be patient with the person who is undergoing the treatment, because it works, but it will take time. It is essential that the people who live with these patients see it this way so that the crises are not further aggravated by lack of care.

How to deal with crises?

Dealing with the crises that will appear throughout the treatment process of the borderline disorder is challenging and complex. There is no complete way to deal with this situation, because patients can present different symptoms depending on the severity and other aspects of the syndrome.

In the event of a crisis, it is important that the patient has easy access to the professional who attends him and accompanies his treatment, so that he can seek help immediately, because this professional will be able to understand and find a way to ease the crisis.

For patients who have seizures but are not yet under treatment, it is necessary that they are taken to outpatient clinics or emergency rooms immediately for care.

The difference between borderline and bipolar disorder

There is a lot of confusion between borderline and bipolar disorders, as they end up overlapping in some cases. However, it is necessary to understand that there is a difference between the two.

The symptoms of bipolar disorder appear in a few phases. In this case, the patient, while presenting an episode of severe depression, for example, may then suffer from the crises of bipolar disorder.

In the borderline personality, there are constant mood swings that are much more rapid than in the bipolar personality, because the borderline personality can count on longer periods of stability.

When you identify the symptoms of borderline personality disorder, seek professional support!

Even though there are some clear symptoms that are common in patients facing the borderline disorder, it is necessary that, at the slightest sign that a person is facing the disease due to repeated episodes and crises that show characteristics of the disorder, he or she should be referred to a competent professional.

The professional can then find the reasons for the disorder and direct the individual to an appropriate treatment.

Therefore, it is necessary to look for professional support, because only with it will it be possible to control and reduce the crises presented by the borderline syndrome!