Do Your Symptoms Correspond With Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?

Is intense conflict one of the primary characteristics of your close relationships? Are you constantly worried about being abandoned or unloved by those closest to you? Do your moods swing from joyful and loving to intense anger and distress?

You may make sudden, impulsive decisions. Perhaps you spend more money than you know you should or make job changes on a whim. It’s possible you engage in other risky behaviors, such as driving recklessly or having unsafe sex. Your tendency to make self-destructive choices may have manifested in acts of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. 

When you think about your identity, you may consider yourself as somehow “bad” or “evil.” Or perhaps you feel so detached from yourself that you struggle to believe your own existence. Your self-image may have become so distorted that your everyday perceptions of yourself, your relationships, and your environment are drastically impacted by your mood, creating a sense of continuous instability.

BPD Tends To Result In Chronic Relationship Hurdles

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often involve extreme interpersonal dynamics. You may constantly worry that your spouse or partner is going to betray or leave you. Perhaps you imagine the worst if your partner doesn’t answer their phone or comes home late after work. 

It drives you nuts when your loved ones cancel or change plans at the last minute. And because you’re so preoccupied with worries of abandonment, you’re constantly dwelling on all of the things that others find wrong with you. 

Due to these profound fears of abandonment and loneliness, individuals struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder are at an increased risk of being in an abusive relationship. If you have BPD, you may have a tendency to stick with a partner who physically, mentally, or emotionally abuses you, refusing help or intervention. 

With such intense symptoms impacting you on a daily basis, you may feel as though life lacks any joy or meaning. All you want is to feel secure and at peace to avoid feeling so angry all the time. In treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, you can find the help you need to understand and reduce symptoms of BPD. 

Borderline Personality Disorder Can Be Misdiagnosed And Misunderstood

All of us struggle with emotional dysregulation and periods of stress. But when everyday interactions or stressors create prolonged periods of distress and instability, such symptoms align with BPD. 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 1.4 percent of the US population has Borderline Personality Disorder. Though the vast majority of those diagnosed are women, it’s highly likely that a large subset of men who struggle with depression or PTSD actually have BPD.

Biological factors can contribute to the onset of BPD—including genetics and brain chemistry—but individuals who grew up in an invalidating environment are also at a higher risk for developing symptoms. 

Unfortunately, individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder can have trouble managing symptoms because they believe that treatment isn’t possible and that they’re doomed to be miserable forever. 

Therapeutic treatment for BPD can be highly effective, though. By working with a specialist who validates your experiences and emotions, you can learn how to get your needs met in a way that heals you from the wounds caused by Borderline Personality Disorder. placeholder text. This is paragraph placeholder text. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy And Other Treatments Can Help You Overcome Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder

Fortunately, there are a variety of therapeutic approaches that can help individuals struggling with BPD. And in fact, psychologist Marsha Linehan developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the 1970s, specifically as a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT has since been used by therapists to treat a wide array of mental health concerns and remains a gold standard therapy for BPD to this day. 

I will use DBT and other verified methods to help you slow down and adjust your relationship to your environment, yourself, and those around you. Mindfulness is an essential part of my approach to BPD treatment, as well as Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which can help you heal the parts of yourself that suffer from distortions of your self-image. 

By acknowledging and radically accepting the parts of yourself that struggle with anger, emptiness, and fear of abandonment, you’ll be more aware of how to get your needs met in a healthy way. By learning to communicate and set boundaries, you can avoid chronic interpersonal conflict and promote more harmony in your relationships. 

In addition to individual counseling, I find that group sessions—a significant component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy—can be beneficial for clients struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder. I do have options for BPD group therapy sessions at Surf Ridge when clients present an interest in meeting together. In addition, if there are other BPD resources you may benefit from alongside therapy, we can discuss your options during your treatment intake.

Therapy Can Help You Find Lasting Stability

Managing Borderline Personality Disorder is possible, and I have seen many clients become so skillful in therapy that they no longer meet the requirements for a BPD diagnosis. Marsha Linehan herself has said that treatment for BPD can help you “have a life worth living.” 

Even though symptoms have made life challenging and caused obstacles in your relationships, treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder can help you heal and develop a new outlook on your world.

Maybe You’re Considering Seeing A Borderline Personality Disorder Specialist, But You Still Have Questions…

I seem to make people angry just by being me— how do I know that you won’t respond in the same way?

This worry likely stems from your fear of being abandoned in your relationships. As your therapist, I can help you understand BPD and the effect it has on your perception and behaviors. In addition, I can provide you with effective tools for communicating your needs to others and managing symptoms of borderline personality disorder so that it doesn’t negatively impact your relationships. 

My main goal is to get you through treatment so that you no longer meet the requirements of a BPD diagnosis. And while I can’t guarantee that feelings of abandonment won’t occur if I take a temporary leave (due to vacation or illness, for instance) or retire from my practice, I am networked with many Borderline Personality Disorder specialists qualified to help. . 

Therapy for BPD is too expensive. 

Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder is an investment in yourself and your future. By learning to manage symptoms of BPD, you can feel more capable and productive—saving time and money in the long run. 

I take insurance, and if cost is still an issue, I offer therapy on a sliding scale for those who qualify. 

I don’t want people to think I am crazy for seeking treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. 

You cannot control how others think or behave—you can only control your response to them. An effective therapist can help you understand that it’s more important to feel better than dwell on what other people think of your BPD. Our work together is strictly confidential and governed by HIPAA, so you can rest assured that your privacy is protected. 

Let Me Guide You In Managing Borderline Personality Disorder 

If you struggle with symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder—including intense mood swings and a fear of abandonment—treatment can help you regulate your emotions and foster healthy relationships so that BPD can have less of an adverse impact on your wellbeing.

To schedule a free, 15-minute phone or telehealth consultation, please email me or call (828) 237 – 2887.

Recent Blog Posts