Borderline Personality Disorder: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

A borderline personality disorder is a condition in which you may find it difficult to process your emotions. This condition affects approximately 1.6% of general people and around 20% of psychiatric patients [1]. Another fact to note here is that borderline personality disorder is believed to be more common in women. If you show borderline personality disorder symptoms, you may find it hard to communicate with people around you.

Social awkwardness and erratic behavioral patterns result in a patient staying aloof from society. In most cases, people misunderstand those with a borderline personality disorder to be arrogant. However, the main reason for such behavior is emotional instability.

Due to the inability to manage emotions, individuals with this mental illness may encounter self-image problems and erratic mood swings. As a result, you may tend to feel insecure. Borderline personality disorder symptoms can strain your personal and professional relationships. An early diagnosis of this condition helps in effective borderline personality disorder treatment.  

As you may already know, emotional wellness is crucial for a healthy life and a calm mind. Be it any mental illness like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, timely diagnosis and treatment therapies can help you manage the conditions efficiently. For good mental health, practicing mindfulness techniques like yoga can be of great help.

Remember, a happy and calm mind is vital for a stable personal and professional life. Being aware of these mental illnesses helps in easy diagnosis and treatment. Read on to get an in-depth insight on borderline personality disorder, its symptoms, borderline personality disorder test, and borderline personality disorder treatment.

Borderline Personality Disorder Causes 

There is no one major cause responsible for this condition. Genetics is one of the vital factors resulting in borderline personality disorder. If your family has a history of this condition, you have a higher chance of developing this condition. Another report suggests that approximately 70% of individuals who have faced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in their childhood are prone to acquire this mental illness. Childhood trauma such as separation from their mothers or broken marriages has resulted in this mental illness.

A vital cause of borderline personality disorder could also be changed in the brain. If you encounter this condition, the parts of the brain responsible for behavior and emotion do not communicate well with each other.

Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms 

Since this illness affects your ability to form good personal and professional relationships, it can hamper your thinking and emotional skills. These symptoms may appear in your adulthood or late teenage years. Here are a few warning signs that may require you to undergo a borderline personality disorder test. 

• Tendency to harm yourself 
• Display of impulsive behavioral patterns 
• Inability to trust others 
• Uncontrolled anger issues 
• Relationships problems with your loved ones 
• A constant sense of loneliness and emptiness  
• Irrational mood swings 
• Presence of strong panic reactions 
• Presence of suicidal thoughts or behavior 
• Disconnected from one’s self 

If you observe any of these borderline personality disorder symptoms in your loved ones, go for a borderline personality disorder test. This help gets you started with the treatment, as living with this condition can get quite stressful.

Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis 

It is important to get professional advice for the correct diagnosis of this condition. A psychiatrist or a psychologist can help in diagnosing this mental illness. Your doctor may ask you questions about your symptoms and if there is a family history of any mental illness. Proper diagnosis is vital as this condition may occur alongside depression and anxiety.

A borderline personality disorder test may also involve a brain scan to understand if your brain has undergone any changes. Finally, a psychological evaluation by a mental health specialist helps understand the condition to devise a proper borderline personality disorder treatment plan.

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment 

Treating this condition can be challenging as you may experience other mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, or eating disorders. The most effective borderline personality disorder treatment is talk therapy. With the help of this therapy, you can overcome your paranoid thoughts and realize your goals. This helps you manage your emotional turmoil and react to people positively. 

A few types of talk therapy as a part of the treatment plan include: 

• Group therapy 
• Dialectical behavior therapy 
• Cognitive behavioral therapy 

Group therapy involves interaction with like-minded people wherein you discuss all your concerns under the guidance of a mental health specialist. This helps you interact with people and decrease your social awkwardness. 

In dialectical behavior therapy, you learn to accept and live in reality. With this therapy, you can process and manage your emotions in a better way that helps reduce your self-destructive behavior.

Cognitive behavioral therapy enables you to understand how negative thoughts affect your actions. You become more positive and develop healthy habits during this therapy. While medications are not usually prescribed for borderline personality disorder, you may have to take certain antipsychotic drugs to control your impulsive behavior and other symptoms. 

Mental health is crucial for the overall well-being of an individual. Therefore, keep a close watch on the warning signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder. If you notice any unusual symptoms in your loved ones or yourself, please consult a mental health specialist without delay. You may connect to reputed psychologists and psychiatrists on Bajaj Finserv Health. Get a doctor consultation within minutes and meet a preferred doctor to address your mental health symptoms at once.