Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment

Among mental health disorders that cause dysregulated emotions, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) may be the best-known one. This disorder can cause immense, rapid mood swings, and significantly impair an individual’s everyday functions. If you or your loved ones suspect such a diagnosis, you likely know this well; BPD can impact psychological well-being, personal relationships, performance at work, and more.

Due to its infamy, there is ample literature on BPD – and thankfully ample treatment options in turn. If you’re looking into resources and treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder in Lantana FL, we at Archstone Behavioral Health are here to help.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Starting with the definition, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines Borderline Personality Disorder as “a mental illness that severely impacts a person’s ability to regulate their emotions”. In turn, this emotional instability typically impacts the individual’s self-image and kindles impulsivity. Borderline Personality Disorder treatment programs typically focus on addressing and managing these symptoms.

BPD is relatively widespread in the US, with studies finding approximately 1.6% of the general population experiencing it.

Common causes

Unfortunately, the exact causes of BPD remain nebulous. The National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) notes that the science is still inconclusive. Still, it has pinpointed some common causes beyond genetic factors and environmental influences, including:

• Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse during childhood
• Neglect, bullying, and other distressing circumstances during childhood
• Other traumatic experiences

As we’ll see below, BPD may also share some common causes with other mental health disorders.

Signs and symptoms

If unaware of such underlying causes, you may look for early signs and symptoms. Mayo Clinic notes that symptoms can vary considerably, but include:

• An intense fear of abandonment
• A pattern of unstable intense relationships
• Rapid changes in self-identity and self-image
• Periods of stress-related paranoia and loss of contact with reality
• Impulsive and risky behavior
• Suicidal threats or behavior or self-injury, often in response to the fear of separation or rejection
• Wide mood swings lasting from a few hours to a few days
• Ongoing feelings of emptiness
• Inappropriate, intense anger

Risk factors

Beyond these symptoms, NEABPD rightly asserts that risk factors are also very noteworthy. Knowing them can allow individuals and families to remain attentive, and often identify BPD early to seek appropriate treatment.

The 3 main risk factor categories for BPD, as Borderline Personality Disorder treatment providers also confirm, are:

• Family history of BPD, particularly among close relatives
• Brain structure and function, particularly in the areas that control impulses and emotion regulation
• Environmental, cultural, and social factors, including experiencing traumatic life events like the above

These may not be conclusive, but keeping them in mind may help you seek Borderline Personality Disorder treatment for yourself or your loved ones sooner.

Disorders associated with Borderline Personality Disorder

Unfortunately, BPD diagnoses can be complex because Borderline Personality Disorder is associated with various mental health disorders. Those include:

• Depression and anxiety disorders
• Eating disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

It’s this fact that also makes self-diagnoses extremely unreliable. As such, it’s always best to consult mental health professionals specializing in Borderline Personality Disorder Lantana FL has to offer.

Borderline Personality Disorder and addiction

On the subject of Borderline Personality Disorder treatment, BPD indeed often concerns drug addiction treatment as well. This is because, as highlighted above, mental health disorders can often co-occur with SUDs.

Dual diagnoses

This co-occurrence is dubbed dual diagnosis, and it tends to complicate treatment. In such cases it is unclear which condition caused or magnified the other, and the two require simultaneous treatment to ensure a successful recovery.

This is a rather common phenomenon, unfortunately. In the US, 37.9% of adults with SUDs also have mental health disorders, and 18.2% of those with mental health disorders also have SUDs. Therefore, while its prevalence can be disheartening, it should also let you know that addiction treatment providers are prepared to meet this challenge.

Treating addiction/BPD dual diagnoses

The best way such dual diagnoses are treated is indeed to offer a continuum of care that will address both conditions. At Archstone Recovery we take such an approach ourselves, combining behavioral therapies and pharmacotherapy throughout rehabilitation:

• Our residential treatment program offers a safe, monitored clinical environment for comfortable detoxification, alongside a keen focus on individual therapy
• For cases that require our Partial Hospitalization Program, we combine some continued medical care with a focus on group therapy and counseling akin to Outpatient programs
• Post-rehabilitation, our aftercare program cements recovery by encouraging continued meetings, alumni programs, and continued communication with therapists

This commitment to holistic, personalized treatment drives our mission to be the best treatment providers for Borderline Personality Disorder.

Behavioral therapy and psychotherapy as Borderline Personality Disorder treatment tools

Beyond our own experience, we’re proud to say the science reaffirms our position. Borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org finds that behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are potent tools toward treating BPD, most notably including:

• Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT), which studies find is potent enough to treat “even severe childhood abuse-associated PTSD with emotion dysregulation”
• Mentalization-based Therapy (MBT), whose focus on empathy makes it an effective talk therapy type for treating BPD symptoms
• Transference-focused Therapy (TFP), which leverages therapist-patient relationships to regulate emotional shifts

In addition, it is notable that psychotherapy and behavioral therapy can also effectively treat BPD-associated disorders and BPD-adjacent symptoms. Such therapeutic tools include:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the central variant of behavioral therapy which can both treat mental health disorders and augment traditional pharmacotherapy
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a type of psychotherapy potent enough to reduce PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a type of psychotherapy developed to treat PTSD with demonstrable effectiveness in treating similar disorders

As behavioral health experts, we maintain a firm grasp on the evolving science of psychotherapy and its applications. Our staff includes fully certified, experienced clinicians, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals who will leave nothing to chance throughout Borderline Personality Disorder treatment.

Archstone Recovery is here for you

If you or your loved ones are in need of the best treatment services for Borderline Personality Disorder, we at Archstone Recovery are here for you. Between our years of experience and continued education, we deeply understand BPD and how it can kindle addiction in cases of dual diagnoses.

Seeking treatment may seem scary, but it ought not to be. BPD is a relatively common disorder whose symptoms are highly treatable. As such, you should not feel intimidated or ashamed of seeking the treatment you need to reclaim your life. If you’re ready to do so, please contact us today and get started on a journey like no other.