Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder that affects the way you think and feel about yourself and other people. This causes issues with functioning in everyday life. It also includes a pattern of continuous instability in behavior, moods, self-image, and functioning. These experiences often lead to impulsive actions and unstable relationships. Mental health professionals are available to help at First City Recovery in Kokomo, IN.
- Excessive fear of abandonment; may even go to extreme measures to avoid real or imagined rejection or separation.
- A sequence of unstable, intense interpersonal relationships that alternate between extremes of dismissiveness and idealization.
- Rapid mood shifts that last from a few hours to a few days. It can include intense happiness, sadness, anxiety, or irritability.
- Constant feelings of emptiness
- Intense, inappropriate anger or problems controlling anger.
- Spontaneous, risky behavior, such as unsafe sex, spending sprees, substance abuse, binge eating, or reckless driving.
- Repeated suicidal behaviors, threats, or self-harming behavior.
- Loss of contact with reality and stress-related paranoia, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours.
- Dissociation, such as feeling cut off from oneself, seeing oneself from outside the body, or feelings of unreality.
- Unstable sense of self or self-image.
- Seeing oneself as basically bad or unworthy.
It’s important to remember that having these symptoms does not mean that a person inevitably has BPD. Personality disorders are diagnosed based on an interview with your doctor or a mental health professional, a mental health evaluation, a thorough medical history, and a discussion of your symptoms.
Causes and Risk Factors of Borderline Personality Disorder
Studies have suggested that genetic factors may play a part in the development of BPD. People with a family history of BPD or other mental health conditions might have a higher risk.
Differences in brain structure and function have been identified in people with BPD. The regions of the brain linked to impulsivity and emotional regulation may be affected.
In addition, environmental factors, especially traumatic experiences during childhood, are heavily linked to the development of BPD. Types of childhood trauma include:
- Neglect
- Sexual abuse
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Loss of a parent or caregiver
Cultural and social factors can also be partly responsible for the development of BPD. These factors include:
- Unstable social circumstances
- Cultural norms that promote emotional repression
- Exposure to long-term distress or fear
BPD probably results from a combination of these factors. No single factor is universally applicable to all people with BPD.
Therapy and Counseling Services for Borderline Personality Disorder
- Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)–MBT focuses on thinking before reacting.
- Schema Therapy–Focuses on changing negative thought patterns.
- Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS)–involves working with family, caregivers, friends, in addition to other talk therapy.
- Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP)– Aims to help you learn about your emotions through a relationship with your therapist.
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy(CBT)–Helps people learn how their faulty thinking patterns affect their behavior and how to change them.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for BPD Treatment
- You are exceptionally emotionally vulnerable. Low levels of stress can make you feel extremely anxious.
- You were raised in an environment where the people around you dismissed your feelings. A parent might have told you that you had no right to be sad or that you were just being silly if you complained of feelings of anxiety or stress.
These two factors might have caused you to fall into a negative cycle, for example, you feel intense and upsetting emotions, but feel guilty and worthless for having them. You believe these emotions make you a bad person, which leads to further upsetting emotions.
The goal of DBT is to break the cycle by initiating two critical concepts:
- Validation: Accept that your emotions are valid, real, and acceptable
- Dialectics: A philosophy that most things in life aren’t typically “black and white” and that it’s important to be receptive to ideas and opinions that contradict your own.
For example, your therapist could validate that feelings of extreme sadness cause you to self-harm, and that doesn’t make you a worthless person. However, the therapist would then try to challenge your belief that self-harming is the only way to cope with sadness. Both concepts will be utilized to promote positive changes in your behavior. The ultimate goal is to help you break free from viewing the world, relationships, and your life in a narrow and restrictive way that leads to self-destructive behavior.
In addition, DBT is comprehensive–it includes individual therapy, skills training groups, and phone coaching.
- DBT has been researched extensively and proven to be effective for treating BPD.
- DBT includes elements of mindfulness and validation, which enable individuals to accept their behaviors and emotions while developing new skills.
Medication and Psychiatric Support for BPD
If your safety is at risk, your physician may also recommend that you be treated in a psychiatric hospital or clinic. Inpatient treatment for borderline personality disorder keeps you safe from harming yourself and can help you discuss any thoughts or behaviors related to suicide.
Treatment will help you learn skills to cope with and manage your condition. You should also be treated for any other conditions that commonly occur with BPD, such as depression or substance use disorder (SUD)
The Role of Group Therapy in BPD Treatment
Groups provide a safe space for individuals to share their experiences and feelings while learning new skills. By observing and interacting with group members, individuals can gain insights into healthy relationship patterns and develop coping skills. Group interaction can serve as a real-time laboratory for examining interpersonal relationships and receiving feedback. By working collaboratively with the therapist and other group members, individuals can learn to manage the core challenges associated with BPD–impulsivity, difficulties with relationships, and intense emotions.
How to Choose the Right BPD Treatment Center in Indiana
- Find a professional with experience in treating BPD and check licensing.
- Check what kinds of treatments are available and what training the staff have had to treat BPD.
- Is there inpatient treatment for BPD?
- What is the expected length of stay?
- Is there a handbook of rules that outlines visiting hours, regulations, and program expectations?
- What family involvement is required or recommended?
- Are there support groups in the area?
- When does discharge planning start?
- If someone signs themselves out, who is notified?
- What is the cost?
- What funding or insurance is accepted?
- Is there a financial counselor available?
Fortunately, if you live in Indiana, First City Recovery Center in Kokomo can meet all your treatment needs with a professionally licensed and experienced staff. Our financial experts and admission specialists are happy to answer all your questions.
SUD Treatment
Sadly, many people with BPD are also suffering from a substance use disorder. First City Recovery has a program to specifically deal with a dual diagnosis like this. Both conditions must be treated simultaneously to achieve maximum treatment effectiveness.
Coping Strategies for Managing Borderline Personality Disorder
- Learning about your condition so you understand its causes and treatments
- Recognizing what might make you angry or impulsive
- Getting professional help and sticking to your treatment plan by going to all therapy sessions and taking medications as prescribed
- Working with your mental health professional to design a plan for what to do if a crisis occurs
- Avoiding drugs and alcohol
- Involving people close to you in your treatment so they understand how to support you
- Practicing coping skills like breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation can help you manage intense emotions
- Setting limits for yourself and others by learning how to express your emotions in a way that doesn’t push others away or make you feel unstable or abandoned
- Not assuming that you know what others are feeling or thinking about you
- Sharing your experiences and what you’ve learned with other people with BPD
- Living a healthy lifestyle, such as a healthy diet, physical activity, and social activities
- Not blaming yourself for the BPD, but taking responsibility for treating it
Support for Families and Loved Ones of Those with BPD
Family therapy or support groups can help family members learn about BPD and how to support their loved one.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEABPD) offer programs to provide education and skills for loved ones:
- Family Connections Program
A free program from NEABPD provides education, skills training, and support.
- NAMI Support
NAMI offers support and information about community resources
- Family Therapy
Family therapy in Indianapolis addresses relationship dynamics and encourages understanding among family members. First Steps Recovery Center provides family therapy for clients.
Effective Treatment Options for Borderline Personality Disorder in Indiana
- DBT–the most effective treatment, developed for BPD.
- Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
First City Recovery Center can provide a mental health residential stabilization program for individuals who need full time supervision and treatment for their own safety. In a stabilization program or an inpatient rehab program, you receive round-the-clock supervision from licensed and experienced mental health and healthcare professionals. If your addiction as a result of BPD is severe, we recommend a medical detox to help you safely and comfortably go through the process of withdrawing from the addictive substance.
In addition, we have three outpatient programs. The programs vary in intensity and hours required, but you will be able to go home after treatment each day. This makes it easier to work or go to school while attending treatment. After completing formal treatment, if necessary, you may want to take advantage of our sober living program.
First City Recovery Center is in-network with:
- United Healthcare
- Anthem
- Magellan
- Cigna
- Beacon
- Aetna
- VA Community Care
Our admissions specialists will be happy to check your coverage or suggest payment options.
Starting Your Journey to Recovery from BPD
MD, Psychiatrist
Dr. Vahid Osman, MD is a psychiatry specialist in Indianapolis, IN.
Dr. Osman completed a residency at Austin State Hospital. He has over 32 years of experience in Psychiatry & Behavioral Health. He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
