The following is a case example of a person suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.
A 26-year-old woman was referred for admission to a hospital by her company due to intense suicidal preoccupation and urges to mutilate herself with a razor. It came to the notice of the manager after a person who saw her mutilate herself, reported to the manager. The employee was apparently well until her 11th grade, when she became preoccupied with religion and philosophy, avoided friends and was filled with doubt about who she was. She was an above average employee, but at times there was fluctuations in her performance. From college onwards she began using a variety of drugs, abandoned the religion and her family and had multiple intense relationships that did not last long. At times, massive anxiety swept over her and she found it would suddenly vanish if she cuts her forearm with a razor blade.
The symptoms of borderline personality disorder include: a recurring pattern of instability in relationships, efforts to avoid abandonment, identity disturbance, impulsivity, emotional instability, and chronic feelings of emptiness, among other symptoms. The main feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and emotions. People with borderline personality disorder are also usually very impulsive, oftentimes demonstrating self-injurious behaviours (risky sexual behaviours, cutting, and suicide attempts).
Features of Borderline Personality disorder.
- Patients can be argumentative at one moment, depressed the next, and later complain of having no feelings.
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. There might be pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationship.
- Identity disturbance characterized by a persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
- Recurrent suicidal behaviour, gesture or self-mutilating behaviour.
- Inappropriate and intense anger might be evident. Can have chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Impulsivity in at least two potentially self-damaging areas. (eg: spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving)
- They usually have extreme thought process. They are usually unable to recognize that things are often not either perfect or horrible, but are something in between.
Treatment
A Psychiatrist can make an assessment and help the individual understand whether or not he suffers from Borderline personality disorder. Counselling can help the individual to start to bridge the gap between “emotional” and “rational” interpretations of their world. A Counsellor can help the individual to control impulses and angry outbursts and to reduce their sensitivity to criticism and rejection. Counselling can assist the individual to see how their actions affect others and thereby improve their interpersonal behaviour. Medications have been used to control anger, hostility, and brief psychotic episodes. Counselling would provide supportive help.
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