Borderline Personality Disorder Paper

Childhood and Borderline Personality Disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complicated disorder that affects people both psychologically and socially. ‘BPD is defined as a consistent pattern of instability, problems sustaining interpersonal relationships, impulsivity, poor self-image, and unstable moods’ (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000, p.706). BPD is one of many personality disorders whose problems are usually seen first in late adolescence or early adulthood. ‘Originally thought to be at the borderline of psychosis and neurosis, this disorder is not as defined as other personality disorders. It is also often misdiagnosed because of similar symptoms’ (Gunderson & Huffman, 2015, p. 4). “The etiology of BPD …show more content…
32). “Clinical descriptions of BPD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are very similar, especially when it is repeated over time” (Baird, 2008, p. 32). Childhood scenarios of physical, sexual, and or emotional abuse will follow someone throughout adulthood. However, most BPD sufferers are unaware of the connection between early childhood trauma and current relationships. They subconsciously reenact traumatic scenarios and attempt to cope with it through rage, guilt, or fear. ‘Relationships of those who suffer from BPD and survived severe childhood abuse or trauma go through intense periods of searching for intimacy, alternating with periods of anger and withdrawal. This is referred to as splitting behavior, a common characteristic of BPD’ (Goin, 1998, para. 2). Splitting behavior is an all or nothing behavior described by Robert Fairbairn. Fairbairn’s object relations theory, states that adults relate to people and situations based on their childhood experiences. ‘People who have suffered trauma or abuse from childhood expect the same kind of abuse from others that remind them of the abusive parent’ (Goin, 1998, para. 5). People who suffer from BPD can have a difficult time sustaining healthy relationships because of Fairbairn’s theory. There is no cure for borderline personality disorder, and treatment options vary from person to person. Psychotherapy is a fundamental treatment option, and medication may be added if needed for correlating symptoms such as depression, impulsiveness, aggression, or anxiety. ‘The main purpose of psychotherapy is to learn to manage emotions, reduce impulsiveness, and learn to develop and sustain a healthy relationship’ (Mayo Clinic, 2015, para.3). Even with effective treatments, someone suffering from BPD will never fully

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