Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

As personality disorders go, borderline personality disorder (BPD) sufferers arguably experience some of the most painful symptoms – an unstable sense of self; a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships; emotional instability; impulsivity; suicidal tendencies; intense, inappropriate anger; chronic feelings of emptiness; and paranoid thoughts. And yet, this disorder is also looked at as […] read more

Co-Occurring Disorders Often Accompany Borderline Personality Disorder

People living and coping with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are often dealing with other mental health disorders at the same time. Health conditions that co-occur is called comorbidity. read more

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment Has Evolved

There was a time when being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) was more than a bit discouraging. Effective treatments for the condition were almost non-existent, and there was little hope in terms of measurable recovery. The wonderful news today is that there are now a handful of effective therapies used to treat BPD and, […] read more

Borderline Personality Disorder Further Complicated by Substance Abuse

Comorbidity is a term describing two illnesses or conditions that are present together. One problem does not necessarily cause the other, but they appear in tandem often enough that they are considered medically linked. For the person with borderline personality disorder (BPD), substance abuse is often a comorbid problem. read more

Overlap Between Sex Addiction and Personality Disorders

Sex addiction is one of several terms used to describe an ongoing, dysfunctional and mentally distressing pattern of sex-based behaviors, thoughts or urges. Despite research findings that support its existence, this pattern has no official standing in the U.S. as a diagnosable disorder or condition. According to the results of a study published in 2013 […] read more

On March 27th, 2014, posted in: Mental Health by Tags: , ,

How to Come Out of the Closet About Family Mental Illness

It’s the thing we don’t even want to think about, let alone discuss with others. It’s the addiction, the chronic depression, the agoraphobia, the stint in the psych ward. When mental illness invades our homes we tend to isolate and wall off, either out of shame, or fear, or from simply not knowing what to […] read more

On March 13th, 2014, posted in: Mental Health by Tags: ,

Key Differences Between Bipolar II and Borderline Personality Disorder

Bipolar II disorder and borderline personality disorder share several common symptoms, enough that differentiating between the two conditions is tricky. Both are mood disorders, meaning that the emotions are severe enough to create disruptions in daily living. Yet there are key differences between the two. read more

The Different Faces of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a form of mental illness that can make a person’s life a roller coaster of emotions with friends and families along for the ride. People with this condition have often experienced childhood abuse or other traumatic life events. The resulting cacophony of negative emotions and behaviors makes it very difficult […] read more

Patterns Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is diagnosed when a person experiences unstable moods, behavior and relationships. It wasn’t until 1980 that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders listed BPD as a diagnosable illness. read more

Connecting With Others

Francine sat across from her psychiatrist with her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth as she cried. “You’ve got to give me something to stop this,” she moaned. “Stop what, Francine?” her doctor asked. “Stop the way I feel when people don’t love me back!” she half-shouted. read more