Overcoming Addiction and Borderline Personality Disorder - Expert Advice from Dr. Fox

Complex Borderline Personality Disorder: How Coexisting Conditions Affect Your BPD and How You Can Gain Emotional Balance. Available at:

Order The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook by Dr. Fox:

Overcoming Addiction and Borderline Personality Disorder - Expert Advice from Dr. Fox

Approximately 78% of those with BPD also have a substance abuse disorder or addition some time in their life. Substance abuse significantly negatively impacts BPD symptoms and treatment.

Knowledge will help you understand and seek treatment to manage your substance abuse and BPD issues. These are both treatable issues, and the power of knowledge is the first step.

Individuals with BPD often use substances in an attempt to manage emotions perceived as overwhelmingly negative or to replace these by a pleasant state, such as feeling intoxicated (self-medication hypothesis).

The drive to use addictive substances can be triggered by factors related to the social environment, such as peer pressure and negative interactions. Substances are frequently taken with the intention to produce a state similar to dissociation or psychological separation. This continued use typically ends up in addiction.

Individuals with BPD and comorbid substance abuse issues are more impulsive, have a greater impaired ability to work towards adaptive and healthy goals, have a greater degree of agitation and lower frustration tolerance, are at a lower probability to achieve successful treatment. Remissions in BPD individuals without comorbid addiction were four times more likely to occur within a period of six years compared with individuals with comorbid substance abuse and BPD issues.

Daniel J. Fox, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment and assessment of individuals with personality disorders for over 15 years in the state and federal prison system, universities, and in private practice. His specialty areas include personality disorders, ethics, burnout prevention, and emotional intelligence.

He has published several articles in these areas and is the author of:

Thank you for your attention and I hope you enjoy my videos and find them helpful and subscribe. I always welcome topic suggestions and comments.

Citation:
Kienast, T., Stoffers, J., Bermpohl, F., & Lieb, K. (2014). Borderline personality disorder and comorbid addiction: epidemiology and treatment. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 111(16), 280-6.

[Maria-rzri]

If you are looking for a sign not to end your life this is it

I love you stay strong ❤️

[katkatkatkat]

“YOU CAN’T BE ADDICTED TO POT!” they said….
they being my pothead mates, lol. Another spot-on description: I could use it to completely obliterate myself and achieve temporary relief, but it heightened my paranoia and avoidant behaviours to extreme levels and I had severe mental breakdowns every time I stopped using. glad I quit: no more chronic bronchitis from smoking resin ‘cos I'm broke af. 99 problems and I got rid of one.
Stay strong everyone! ❤️

[amarubrubino]

The overlap is overwhelming . It’s like a life sentence in the prison of my mind.

[sjones]

It’s so hard havin bpd and using substance abuse. I love that feeling of numbness.

[thesupreme]

You’re the loveliest person on YouTube. Thank you so much for making these videos

[sandyzappa]

I lost a dear man with BPD who was addicted to meth. He didn't realize that all those years had taken its toll on his body. He suffered his whole life feeling this way. It is a cruel reality for the family facing life without him. He lit up the room when he entered. It seemed that was his soul purpose in life. He didnt realize how truly loved he was.

[timothymcdonnell]

I've been sober for almost three years. But only been working on the BPD for 6 months. I did have to get sober first by I didn't understand why I was still having such a hard time. I had a therapist suggest that I have BPD so I started concentrating on BPD treatments. These videos are a big help. I bought a book on Cognative Behavioural Therapy and have been incorporsting these techniques into my daily life. I'm starting to feel better. Just being aware of BPD traits is helping to overcome to reduce their control over who I am and who I relate with other people.

[estherpennington]

I have been able to manage my BPD with 1 antidepressant and daily weed-smoking, but I wouldn't be able to manage at all had it not been for a persistent quest for knowledge, understanding, and incite. I had 3 years of therapy, which is absolutely crucial. I'm able to afford it, and it settles me down and pacifies me. I feel I'm doing very good considering I no longer drink, smoke cigarettes, or use other drugs. I had big problems in the past. Have hope. You can recover from BPD with long-term support and serious soul-searching and ongoing effort.

[lydz]

I've officially given up with EVERYTHING that's hurting my BPD. It does just affect me, but my loved ones and I can't wait to begin the start of sobriety from the morning. NO MORE PRECASTING! I love you guys, things hit us hard and subsantances aren't worth it at all 😭❤️ love you ❤️

[heyitsbethxo]

I'm in recovery from addiction, BPD, bipolar. I treat them all. Once I was clean I was able to do the serious therapy which helped me stay clean.

[gigidayz]

I'm in recovery and so glad. A year next month. Took me decades to be properly dx'd as " dual disordered". I wish your videos were shown in rehabs!! I lived in despair and toxic shame for years. Thank you, Doctor!

[bryn-]

Thank you so much as always. After using self-harm as a coping mechanism since the age of 13 I slowly substituted it for substance abuse and developed a strong dependence for cannabis in particular, which may sound like a soft or harmless drug for some but has caused a lot issues for me (many that you mentioned). I am determined to be sober and learn to deal with my BPD without harmful and maladaptive coping mechanisms such as this and as of today am 8 days sober heh. Thanks again, truly, for always speaking so candidly and eloquently about this

[luciarcher]

DR FOX BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH THE GOOD POSTS

[madfisher]

It's it's a feeling like I can't just be in my head you know (sober)I must have something and it's almost like a blanket like going into the world that I need this blanket over for me the world is scary and my thoughts are anxious and ever ruminating over the past. but in the long run it creates nothing but problems every time and I've been addicted to everything over the years and I always began thinking I'll handle this addiction, but always and it always ended up enslaving me every time ... alcohol was always so bad with me because I was constantly raging when I was under the influence of booze. I'm in my fifties now and my symptoms are so much less than they were in my twenties I was all symptoms in my twenties, and diagnosed when I ended up at Shands Gainesville psych unit in my late twenties, and they really didn't know much of all about it then ... thank you Doctor Fox for all your great insights and help

[kimberlychristinesmith]

It sounds impossible to deal with the addiction first if its being driven by the bpd 😳 I thought it was going to be the other way around. Dealing with the bpd would ultimately lower my need for drugs.

[treenibean]

Sixth video I've watched tonight after accidentally discovering you. All I can say is, hallelujah! You're an amazing, dedicated being, who has an incredible passion for wanting to help us with our complex bpd struggles. May I ask what inspired you to have an interest in people suffering from personality disorders? I love the fact that you reply to some comments and you have put all this information on YouTube for people to access without having to pay. You're in it for the care of people, not money. Thank you

[millionthyoutubegamer]

Was about to have a joint, then your video re substance abuse came on. So I stopped myself. One step at a time. Thank you

[clubbinraver]

Have BPD for 30 years... First 10 years were so bad but after I got to know weed my life became sufferable... Tried everything but my thing is weed... I get high as i wake up until i go to sleep... Weed keeps my feelings on the right tune so that my family can live with me...

[allakitaeva]

I’d be long dead without my weed stash. But yeah it doesn’t help much in the long run, but maintains the status quo perfectly if you can afford it ofc

[livfreyy]

Thank you so much for your videos. Could you do a video on eating disorders with BPD. What treatment is considered to be the most helpful? I have a daughter who struggles with both but is 18 and has refused residential treatment after attending a full time day program for over 2 months. This eating disorder has become her “substance abuse”. She is swallowed up by it and I see her restricting more every week. I am so scared. Thank you. Your videos have helped me cope.