Borderline Personality Disorder - BPD & Me!

Raising questions, finding answersBorderlineabused, usually by a non-caregiver.Researchers
personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illnessbelieve that BPD results from a combination of
characterized by pervasive instability in moods,individual vulnerability to environmental stress, neglect
interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior.or abuse as young children. A series of events that
This instability often disrupts family and work life,trigger the onset of the disorder as young
long-term planning, and the individual's sense ofadults.Adults with BPD are also considerably more
self-identity.Originally thought to be at the "borderline"likely to be the victim of violence, including rape and
of psychosis, people with BPD suffer from a disorderother crimes. This may result from both harmful
of emotion regulation. While less well known thanenvironments as well as impulsivity and poor
schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (manic-depressivejudgment in choosing partners and
illness), BPD is more common, affecting 2 percent oflifestyles.NIMH-funded neuroscience research is
adults, mostly young women.There are a high rate ofrevealing brain mechanisms underlying the impulsivity,
self-injury without suicide intent, as well as amood instability, aggression, anger, and negative
significant rate of suicide attempts and completedemotion seen in BPD. Studies suggest that people
suicide in severe cases. Patients often needpredisposed to impulsive aggression have impaired
extensive mental health services, and account for 20regulation of the neural circuits that modulate
percent of psychiatric hospitalizations.Yet, with help,emotion. The amygdale, a small almond-shaped
many improve over time and are eventually able tostructure deep inside the brain, is an important
lead productive lives. Symptoms While a person withcomponent of the circuit that regulates negative
depression or bipolar disorder typically endures theemotion.In response to signals from other brain
same mood for weeks. A person with BPD maycenters indicating a perceived threat, it marshals fear
experience intense bouts of anger, depression, andand arousal. This might be more pronounced under
anxiety that may last only hours, or at most a day.the influence of drugs like alcohol, or stress. Areas in
These may be associated with episodes of impulsivethe front of the brain (pre-frontal area) act to
aggression, self-injury, and drug or alcoholdampen the activity of this circuit. Recent brain
abuse.Distortions in cognition and sense of self canimaging studies show that individual differences in the
lead to frequent changes in long-term goals, careerability to activate regions of the prefrontal cerebral
plans, jobs, friendships, gender identity, and values.cortex thought to be involved in inhibitory activity
Sometimes people with BPD view themselves aspredict the ability to suppress negative
fundamentally bad, or unworthy. They may feelemotion.Serotonin, nor epinephrine and acetylcholine
unfairly misunderstood or mistreated, bored, empty,are among the chemical messengers in these circuits
and have little idea who they are. Such symptomsthat play a role in the regulation of emotions, including
are most acute when people with BPD feel isolatedsadness, anger, anxiety, and irritability. Drugs that
and lacking in social support, and may result in franticenhance brain serotonin function may improve
efforts to avoid being alone.People with BPD oftenemotional symptoms in BPD.Likewise, mood-stabilizing
have highly unstable patterns of social relationships.drugs that are known to enhance the activity of
While they can develop intense but stormyGABA, the brain's major inhibitory neurotransmitter,
attachments, their attitudes towards family, friends,may help people who experience BPD-like mood
and loved ones may suddenly shift from idealizationswings. Such brain-based vulnerabilities can be
(great admiration and love) to devaluation (intensemanaged with help from behavioral interventions and
anger and dislike).Thus, they may form an immediatemedications, much like people manage susceptibility to
attachment and idealize the other person, but when adiabetes or high blood pressure.Future Progress
slight separation or conflict occurs, they switchStudies that translate basic findings about the neural
unexpectedly to the other extreme and angrilybasis of temperament, mood regulation, and cognition
accuse the other person of not caring for them at all.into clinically relevant insights which bear directly on
Even with family members, individuals with BPD areBPD represent a growing area of NIMH-supported
highly sensitive to rejection, reacting with anger andresearch.Research is also underway to test the
distress to such mild separations as a vacation, aefficacy of combining medications with behavioral
business trip, or a sudden change in plans.These fearstreatments like DBT, and gauging the effect of
of abandonment seem to be related to difficultieschildhood abuse and other stress in BPD on brain
feeling emotionally connected to important personshormones. Data from the first prospective,
when they are physically absent, leaving the individuallongitudinal study of BPD, which began in the early
with BPD feeling lost and perhaps worthless. Suicide1990s, is expected to reveal how treatment affects
threats and attempts may occur along with anger atthe course of the illness.It will also pinpoint specific
perceived abandonment and disappointments.Peopleenvironmental factors and personality traits that
with BPD exhibit other impulsive behaviors, such aspredict a more favorable outcome. The Institute is
excessive spending, binge eating and risky sex. BPDalso collaborating with a private foundation to help
often occurs together with other psychiatricattract new researchers to develop a better
problems, particularly bipolar disorder, depression,understanding and better treatment for BPD.With
anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and otherMuch Love,Arthur Buchanan
personality disorders.TreatmentTreatments for BPDPresident/CEO
have improved in recent years. Group and individualOut of Darkness & Into the Light
psychotherapy are at least partially effective for43 Oakwood Ave. Suite 1012
many patients. Within the past 15 years, a newHuron Ohio, 44839
psychosocial treatment termed dialectical behavior567-219-0994 (cell)
therapy (DBT) was developed specifically to treatare calling Arthur Buchanan's methods of recovering
BPD, and this technique has looked promising infrom mental illness REVOLUTIONARY! (MEDICAL
treatment studies.Pharmacological treatments areCOLLEGE OF MICHIGAN) 'Arthur Buchanan has given
often prescribed based on specific target symptomsus a revolutionary blue print for recovery in these
shown by the individual patient. Antidepressant drugsuncertain times, when Mental Illness at a all time high
and mood stabilizers may be helpful for depressedin the United States of America, yet if you follow
and/or labile mood. Antipsychotic drugs may also bethis young mans methods, we assure you of positive
used when there are distortions in thinking.Recentresults and I QUOTE 'If these methods are followed
Research FindingsAlthough the cause of BPD isprecisely, their is no way you can't see positive
unknown, both environmental and genetic factors areresults with whatever illness you have' -Dr. Herbert
thought to play a role in predisposing patients to BPDPalos Detroit, MichiganListen to Arthur Buchanan on
symptoms and traits. Studies show that many, butthe Mike Litman Show!
not all individuals with BPD report a history of abuse,
neglect, or separation as young children Forty to 71THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN TODAY!
percent of BPD patients report having been sexually