Borderline Personality Disorder

1. Borderline Personality Disorder Conor Riordan Alicia Mannino Victoria Hart

2. Definition of a Personality Disorder • Chronic and severe disturbances that substantially inhibit the capacity to love and to work • Examples of personality disorders • Paranoid • Schizoid • Schizotypal • Antisocial • Borderline • Histronic • Narcissistic • Avoidant • Dependent • Obsessive – compulsive

3. Definition of Borderline Personality Disorder • BPD is a mental illness that is characterized by the instability of moods, relationships, self-image and behavior • Disorder of emotions and how to regulate them • Feeling of Black and white • Self – mutilating behavior • Wrist – slashing, carving words on the arm, or burning the skin with cigarettes

4. Causes and Influences • Traumatic childhood • Failure to develop in adolescence • separation • A vulnerable temperament • Neglect • Series of traumatic events that trigger the disorder

5. Statistics • 2% of adults have this disorder • Most of the 2% is young women • Close to 10% of patients with the disorder commit suicide • Between 10% and 30% of people who commit suicide carry the diagnosis • Forty to 71% of BPD have reported to being sexually abused

6. Symptoms • Chronic feelings of emptiness • Impulsive aggression • Reoccurring suicidal behavior • Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging • Spending • Sex • substance abuse • reckless driving • binge eating • Wreck-less self image • Unstable relationships • Social • Personal

7. Diagnosis There is no test or biochemical exam that can diagnose BPD. However, there is a set of guidelines one can follow to recognize the signs of BPD: • Repeated attempts of suicide • Frantic efforts to avoid being alone due to fear of abandonment • Long periods of anxiety • Anger that is uncontrollable • Doubting your sexual identity • Damaged self-image • Relationship problems • He/She is my world, I can’t live without them. • They are awful…I hate them, how can they do this to me.

8. Relationships • People and relationships are strongly affected by their mood and they are often one – sided • They particularly split their representation of the people and/or relationships, generally, to “all good” or “all bad”- meaning people are either on their side or they are out to get them. • They will often alternate their mood and they will change from one feeling to another (“all good” to “all bad”)

9. Identity • Clinging to damaged relationships • Terror of being left alone • Always feeling empty • Confusion • Feelings that their thoughts are trapping them from reality • Addictive personality

10. Treatment • Group/Individual psychotherapy • Hospitalization • Low doses of antipsychotic drugs • Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications may be appropriate in a given time during a persons recovery

11. Dramatic mood with normal moods in between Series of “highs” and “lows” called episodes Extreme irritability Increased energy, activity, and restlessness Denial of disorder Abuse of drugs (cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medication Distractibility Racing thoughts, talking very fast, and jumping from different idea Unstable/intense interpersonal relationships Inappropriate, intense anger and difficulty controlling anger Constant feeling of anger Denial of real or imagined abandonment Reoccurring suicidal behavior Self – mutilating behavior BPD v. Bi-PolarWhat belongs where?

12. Videos • BPD and me • BPD and me continued-happiness These videos are based on the life of a woman named Jan. She suffers from BPD. These videos are based on her thoughts and lifestyle. Both of these videos show the dual personalities dealing with BPD.

13. Conclusion • Borderline Personality Disorder is a real disease that affects people from all around the world. • BPD can be tamed with treatment and tends to decrease with age • If you feel that you have any of these symptoms, please call 1.800.656.HOPE