HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER ?

Jessica Ricci noticed a need in her clinical practice to have more knowledge and specialized understanding on what is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Throughout the years of gathering more information on evidence-based practices, investigating different treatment modalities, and exploring various theories to understand what is behind the Borderline diagnosis, Jessica tries to make sense of the many symptoms people can experience, and what life looks like for people living with this diagnosis.
So the question is... what is life like for someone that has BPD? The answer is typically different for everyone, but there are some common behavioural/emotional/thought-based elements Jessica has noticed throughout her practice:
If you are affected by BPD, are thinking you may notice some of these symptoms in yourself, or have a family member affected by BPD and are needing support for you/them, please contact our clinic today.
Throughout the years of gathering more information on evidence-based practices, investigating different treatment modalities, and exploring various theories to understand what is behind the Borderline diagnosis, Jessica tries to make sense of the many symptoms people can experience, and what life looks like for people living with this diagnosis.
So the question is... what is life like for someone that has BPD? The answer is typically different for everyone, but there are some common behavioural/emotional/thought-based elements Jessica has noticed throughout her practice:
- Changing self-image and identity - A consistent "I'm not good enough" attitude, you engage in constant self-criticism towards yourself; your always looking for the next personal improvement or direction shift.
- Antagonism & Hostility - Hostility (or anger) can be directed outwardly (i.e. towards others) or inwardly (i.e. towards yourself).
- Dishinibition, Impulsivity, & Risk Taking
- Acting on self-harm to regulate emotions
- Acting on an urge without creating a plan or considering end result
- self-destructive behaviours/self-damaging activities
- Difficulty relating to others through:
- Empathy - Sometimes it is difficult to read and understand another's emotions/needs because your hypersensitivity creates a proneness to feeling insulted.
- Intimacy - Intense and unstable relationships that start quickly and are often tumultuous. Intense preoccupation / fear of being abandoned. You fluctuate between idealization and devaluation /anxious attachment and withdrawal/avoidance.
- Negative Emotion/Affect as pathological personality traits:
- Emotional Liability - There are unstable emotional experiences and frequent changes in mood.
- Anxiousness - You feel intense panic in the context of your relationships and in response to interpersonal stressors. You may have a fear of falling apart or loosing control in your life.
- Separation Insecurity - Fearing rejection and separation from significant attachment figures.
- Depressivity - Consistent feelings of inferiority, emptiness, or shame; takes some time to come out of the depressive mood.
If you are affected by BPD, are thinking you may notice some of these symptoms in yourself, or have a family member affected by BPD and are needing support for you/them, please contact our clinic today.