May is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month, and we're here to offer borderline personality disorder facts, from risk factors and symptoms to treatment options.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental illness that is not very well understood outside of clinical settings. Despite the complex nature of this condition, treatment is possible and can be quite effective. One particularly effective treatment is called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

In this article, we will discuss:

Borderline personality disorder facts
Borderline personality disorder episodes
Borderline personality disorder treatments, including DBT

Please note: this article is for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat Borderline Personality Disorder. Only healthcare professionals can diagnose and treat BPD. If you or a loved one is in crisis, please seek emergency medical care by dialing 911 or going to your local emergency room.

Borderline Personality Disorder Facts

Borderline personality disorder can be hard to understand, as the signs and symptoms can be similar to those of other mental illnesses.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, "People with borderline personality disorder may experience mood swings and display uncertainty about how they see themselves and their role in the world. As a result, their interests and values can change quickly."

Many people who experience BPD, roughly 5.9% of adults, liken it to being on a roller coaster due to swift change in emotions and impulsive behavior.

Symptoms of BPD

The National Alliance on Mental Illnesses explains that some symptoms of borderline personality disorder include:

“Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment by friends and family.”
“Unstable personal relationships that alternate between idealization (“I’m so in love!”) and devaluation (“I hate her”). This is also sometimes known as ‘splitting.’”
“Distorted and unstable self-image, which affects moods, values, opinions, goals and relationships.”
“Impulsive behaviors that can have dangerous outcomes, such as excessive spending, unsafe sex, reckless driving, or misuse or overuse of substances.”
“Self-harming behavior including suicidal threats or attempts.”
“Periods of intense depressed mood, irritability or anxiety lasting a few hours to a few days.”
“Chronic feelings of boredom or emptiness.”
“Inappropriate, intense or uncontrollable anger—often followed by shame and guilt.”
“Dissociative feelings—disconnecting from your thoughts or sense of identity or ‘out of body’ type of feelings—and stress-related paranoid thoughts. Severe cases of stress can also lead to brief psychotic episodes.”

BPD is a serious mental health condition that requires professional diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis can sometimes be difficult because not every person who experiences BPD has the same symptoms. Symptoms--and their severity and frequency--vary from person to person.

The good news is that BPD can be treated and people living with this disorder can live satisfying lives.

Borderline Personality Disorder Episodes

BPD episodes can be scary for those experiencing them and for those who witness them. Anger, rage, and unpleasant emotions or moods can come on suddenly.

People with BPD who experience sudden mood swings or behave inappropriately in a social situations can feel consumed by guilt and shame afterwards.

BPD episodes are often brought on by “triggers,” which are “particular events or situations that immediately exacerbate or intensify symptoms.”

Fortunately, people with BPD can work with a trained therapist to better understand triggers and what brings them on. A therapist can also help manage triggers to lessen the frequency of episodes.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Those who experience BPD have a variety of treatment options available to them. Recent studies have proven the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which is among the best treatments for BPD.

DBT can also be effective in treating other mental health conditions.

DBT was developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD in the 1980s as a treatment for BPD. According to Mayo Clinic, “DBT includes group and individual therapy designed specifically to treat borderline personality disorder. DBT uses a skills-based approach to teach you how to manage your emotions, tolerate distress and improve relationships.”

Psychology Today notes key features of DBT: “The therapist consistently works with the individual to find ways to hold two seemingly opposite perspectives at once, promoting balance and avoiding black and white—the all-or-nothing styles of thinking.”

Ultimately, the goals of DBT are acceptance and change.

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatments

According to research, DBT is considered an ideal treatment for those with BPD. With its focus on dialectics (or opposites) and finding balance, DBT makes three basic assumptions:

All things are interconnected.
Change is constant and inevitable.
Opposites can be integrated to form a closer approximation of the truth.

According to Good Therapy, “In working with clients, DBT therapists are careful to avoid invalidating behaviors and responses that dismiss, reject, or criticize the client’s emotions and behaviors. Examples of this would include statements that the client should not “feel that way,” that their assessment of the situation is inaccurate, that the issue is not important, or that the client is to blame for the problem.”

Balance, acceptance, change, and validation are essential qualities of DBT. This type of therapy can be used to treat other mental health conditions, too.

People experiencing depression, binge-eating disorders, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse may also benefit from DBT.

AICC and BPD Awareness Month

Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center is proud to bring awareness to Borderline Personality Disorder Month. DBT therapy can help you or your loved one manage BPD.

If you are struggling to keep emotions in check or if your interpersonal relationships are suffering, consider reaching out to AICC to be connected with a therapist who is trained to practice DBT. We also offer therapy to those who are living with or supporting people living with BPD.

We will evaluate your needs and be sure to pair you with a therapist who can offer the right treatment options for your unique needs. We look forward to supporting you on your journey to a healthier, more balanced life!

Raising Awareness: Borderline Personality Disorder Facts