 
September 6, 2009
The Los Angeles Times has a nice piece about what BPD is, what it’s not, some possible explanations for it, and the current treatment regimen used to help treat it (psychotherapy). People with borderline personality disorder are characterized by intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, and a fear of abandonment combined with messy interpersonal relationships:
As in the case of Sooki, people with the disorder make a mess of their relationships — and no wonder, given the hallmark symptoms: mood instability, fear of abandonment, impulsive behavior, anger and suicidal or self-injurious acts. People with the disorder may misperceive the actions — even the facial expressions — of others.
“You can’t regulate your emotions despite your best efforts,†says Marsha Linehan, a University of Washington psychologist and leading expert on the disorder.
Borderline personality disorder occurs equally as often in men and women and sufferers often also have other mental illnesses or substance abuse problems. The composite of an angry, unstable, clingy, substance abuser is not a pretty one, and people with the disorder suffer greatly because they drive away even the people who love them most, experts say.
That old belief that BPD mainly occurs in women is simply not true. Men can have borderline personality disorder too. Recent research suggests that the lifetime prevalence rate is doubled than what it was previously thought to be (6% versus 3%).
Read Article in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/09/06/spotlight-on-borderline-personality-disorder/
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