How to treat Borderline personality disorder? - Doctor Explains

What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
As the name suggests borderline is a personality disorder. As a mental illness it is characterized by a long-term pattern of instability. Instability in thinking, feeling and acting. This often causes unstable relationships, a distorted sense of self and strong emotional and impulsive reactions. Which can lead to self-harm and generally dangerous behavior.
Other symptoms may be a feeling of emptiness, fear of abandonment and detachment from reality, sometimes in the form of dissociations.
Borderline is quite common, as it affects about 1-2% of the western population. And it is equally common in men and women.
It is still unclear how borderline is caused, however it is believed to be caused by a combinations of factors. Biological ones (like innate impulsivity and mood lability), psychological factors (like growing up in an unstable household, abuse or attachment problems) and Social factors (like being born in the western world).
Borderline typically starts in early adulthood, but stabilizes from age 30-35. And symptoms might also decrease with age.
Lastly borderline often occurs in conjunction with the following disorders: a depression, another personality disorder, an anxiety disorder, an eating disorder, PTSD and/or addiction.

Possible treatments:
The most important factor for improving quality of life and decreasing symptoms is not treatment itself, but age. As Borderline tends to stabilize from age 30 and onwards.
Treatment also needs to be aimed at the stabilization of borderline. So patients can get a grip on their own lives. Treatment goals therefore should be twofold:
- It should focus on learning patients to control their borderline though crisis management and stabilization.
- In addition with decreasing several of the symptoms and complaints of borderline.

And there are two types of treatment forms which can play a role in this process: psychological treatments and the usages of medication.
- The most used psychological treatments are CGT, Dialectic BT and VERS-training.
- Antipsychotics can be used to reduce anxiety, anger, confusion and impulsivity.
- Antidepressant can be used to reduce mood swings, aggression and self damaging behaviour.
- Anxiety medication can be used to reduce anxiety, impulsivity and distress.

- Disclaimer: this video and the comments are meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

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- Sebastian Houwing: Investor
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Literature:
1: Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019). Borderline personality disorder. Mayo clinic
2: NHS. (2019). Treatment. Borderline personality disorder.
3: Zanarini MC. (2009). Psychotherapy of Borderline Personality Disorder," Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. Vol. 120.5: 373–77.

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[thedyingfetus]

Ive been diagnosed with this a month ago, Ive hated myself and thought that I was worth nothing my whole life and still do, made over 30 suicide attempts. It made me addict to weed and alcohol cause its the only thing that makes me feel good and forget about how much I hate myself, made the only girl that ever loved me and cared for me ran away. Now that I understand what is happening to me I feel a bit better cause I know its not all my fault, but I still struggle to appreciate myself and see a futur for me, i dont know if counseling will help me but i sure hope so. Videos like this make me feel less alone in this situation, thank you.

[jules_]

I have been diagnosed with symptoms of BPD/BP(my doctor says she wants to treat the symptoms and focus less on a specific diagnosis), and I have since then felt very validated in my experiences. Therapy has been really helpful, medication life changing, and I don’t feel as hopeless. I can confidently say that I look forward to a future instead of dreading one. I would have laughed if someone would have told me what I believe now. I guess I post this to encourage the others commenting and viewing that, you get what you put into it. We are special, not broken ❤

[caroshmarow]

Thank you. I have this disorder. This is really helpful.
I grew up in a very unstable home with a narcissist Mother who was physically violent towards me amongst other abuses. Then my Father married his second wife who was also narcissistic and cruel. I think at 16, I finally started to disassociate. After decades of being in therapy, I still didn’t improve. DBT frightens me. Anyway, it’s comforting to learn that symptoms reduce over the years 🙏

[metalheadpolack]

I’m not a monster. I’d like to think, but I can atone for the wrong I’ve done. If guilt is due and I deserve moments of clarity that’s okay. I want the best for everyone at my core and I care for others more than I do myself. I really hope i don’t have another mental problem… if I look back at who I was I have literally every symptom.. but that’s not me. We are all pure love and love is the ultimate power, it won’t stand back in the face of anything. Other than that, I hope anyone who reads this and everyone suffering from mental illness gets the help they may need 🙏

[luvenia]

After years of different diagnosis and doctors throwing their hands up saying they have no idea what I have, I finally got a diagnosis of BPD. Luckily I have already been on medications to treat it, but finally being diagnosed is refreshing. I'm also really happy to know I can get through it and be "cured".

[AECommonThread]

I have BPD and ADHD; I take 12.5mg lexapro and 2x 10mg asderall IR daily as a 28-year-old adult. I went 25 years without treatment and life had its ups and downs for sure. At age 25, I had a quarter-life crisis and before medication, I made necessary life changes which were amazing, but still suffered from guilt, shame, impulsivity, identity crisis, etc. My med combo does work pretty well; it's not perfect; however, I believe that they had a great impact.

[bluntamainia]

It’s gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I used to be able to hide it and control it better when I was younger

[ignisimmensus]

Emotionally abused by my mother, i was diagnosed almost a month ago. I feel like life isn't worth it anymore, even though I am not very suicidal after taking the meds. I don't know what to do with my future at stake. I hope the treatment journey is worth it

[dartzzzgamin]

It’s much more commonly diagnosed with woman, but I thinks it’s cause people have a problem with females raging verses men. Also it isn’t even always rage that we feel. Many of us are quiet bd.

[FatimaZahra-oebr]

Thanks for the hopeful video ...
In many ppl it goes undiagnosed or it's treated as depression or anxiety.
Hope this video can reach a maximum of ppl

[vinyvinycocopuffpassittomenow]

Wow that was extremely relieving that this gradually goes away. I’m 29 and just thought I was maturing with this running and meditation.

[Urdulove]

I saw a boy like u in dream last night wearing the same glasses and talking some important thing.. and after seeing you i remembered that dream.
I have also some symptoms of bpd and destroy some aspects of my life very badly.

[markusmeyer]

The worst thing about bpd is that it has a lot of comorbidities like Depression anxiety disorders PTSD and other bodily ailments like digestive issues and so on.

[heathermariehouston]

I'm 52 years old. I was diagnosed the first time at 15 in a psychiatric hospital and subsequent mmpi. I went on to be tested 2 more times with the last being just a few months ago. Clearly age has not made a difference as I still meet criteria

[BetaBinary]

Aftwr 9 years of undiagnosed therapy and tons and tons of hardcore drug use and uneffective medications. Iv finally been diagnosed today with BPD.

[feng_baobao]

So I'll have to wait for years before I get better? while my life is tearing apart at the most crucial stage, where you need to be most prepared to step out to the world, where you need to take responsibilities with firm determination and stability, in a place where no one values mental health even if you reach out and leaves you only hopeless and distrustful...I feel like I'm loosing out so much and even if I get better in the later future, I'll be left with nothing worthful to offer to my loved ones or myself... I can feel my time running out within this chaos and instability.

[petegamez]

I was diagnosed borderline personally disorder at age 44 I'm now 50 yes its Been the most difficult struggle in my life, including into my marriage of 21 years. My lows are very very low and yes I feel abandoned a lot and I just don't know how to explain myself but I'm getting help and yes I do sometimes hate myself, never wanted to kill myself but I do feel better when I drink alcohol it takes the pain away far away!!. Now I'm try to get this Monster out of my system so I can live a positive, peaceful, healthy life.

[jackiegutmann]

I had to do DBT AND CBT therapy and it helps but doing it daily is not easy. It helps but you need to practice mindfulness daily which is not always easy. I always taken Seroquel as well

[gykg]

I have triggers such as I perceive I was wronged and I go through an episode of explosion and anger for about 3days. So hard to live with

[anti_fascist]

I’m just here because I highly suspect I have it. And it made my beliefs even more rigid. I do have it. Not to the extent described, but it is there.