Borderline Personality Disorder Flashcards
Borderline Personality Disorder
A prevalent and disabling psychiatric condition characterised by an enduring pattern of inner experiences and behaviour dysfunction that deviates from the expectations of an individuals culture, is pervasive and inflexible, is stable over time and causes distress. Dysfunction occurs in social adaptation, impulse control, affect and/or interpersonal relationships.
History of BPD
In the past has been associated with schizophrenia, identity issues and underdeveloped defence mechanisms. Currently there is debate surrounding whether it is a unique condition or part of other disorders.
Issues with BPD
There are 256 different ways for an individual to present with BPD. BPD rarely occurs in isolation. There is a lot of stigma associated with BPD (attention seeking, neediness, overdramatic etc).
BPD and Bipolar
These are separate disorders. BPD has chronic anger, has no genetic link and has an early age of onset. Bipolar has episodic anger, a familial link and a later onset.
BPD and PTSD
High rate of sexual abuse in BPD sufferers, but this doesn’t mean it is part of PTSD. Many BPD sufferers don’t experience abuse and many people who suffer abuse don’t develop psychopathology.
BPD and Substance Abuse
Not all symptoms are due to substance use. The high correlation between SA and BPD is probably due to the use of substances as a coping mechanism.
BPD and Schizophrenia
Very little empirical evidence to support this link. Schizophrenia has a genetic link, BPD doesn’t. Most BPD patients also don’t display the cardinal traits of schizophrenia (hallucinations and delusions).
BPD and Other PDs
High comorbidity, but BPD can be distinguished from other PDs by affective instability and anger.
Consequences of Stigma
Influences conversations with client and family resulting in less information about treatment being given, labelling in medical notes can mean people make judgements without assessing the facts, perpetuates untrue myths about BPD.
Changes to BPD in DSM-5
Proposed changes were not adopted, but were to turn the categorical system into a dimensional one with a five point scale of severity. However, Gunderson argues that this will result in the loss of 30+ years of BPD research into treatments.
