Lecture Notes: Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Introduction

• Speaker: Stephanie Yates Anyabuile (Steph Anya)
• Profession: Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
• Audience: Therapists, aspiring therapists, and individuals seeking personal development
• Topic: Clinical symptoms required for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) diagnosis

Key Characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

• General Overview:
  • Characterized by extremes and instability in self-view, relationships, and work
  • Ego-centric disorder impacting interpersonal relationships
  • Prognosis generally not lifelong, unlike other personality disorders

Clinical Criteria for BPD Diagnosis

• Requirement: At least 5 of the following symptoms must be present:

1. Frantic Efforts to Avoid Abandonment

   • Behavior: Clinging, constant communication, uninvited visits
   • Tendency to sabotage relationships to avoid being abandoned

2. Unstable Interpersonal Relationships

   • "Splitting": Alternating between idolizing and devaluing others
   • Quick formation and dissolution of intense relationships

3. Identity Disturbance

   • Frequent and intense changes in self-identity and interests
   • Impact on personal relationships

4. Impulsivity

   • E.g., gambling, sex, drugs
   • Requires presence in at least two areas

5. Suicidal Ideation or Threats

   • Extreme responses to distress
   • Importance of monitoring close individuals with BPD

6. Instability in Affect (Mood)

   • Frequent, unpredictable mood changes

7. Chronic Feelings of Emptiness

   • Attempts to fill void with impulsive actions

8. Difficulty Controlling Anger

   • "Blackout anger": Episodes of rage with memory loss

9. Paranoia or Dissociative Symptoms

   • Breaks from reality

Treatment and Prognosis

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Group-based therapy offering structure and tools
  • Positive outcomes observed in clients
• Prognosis:
  • Symptoms often decrease in late 30s to early 40s
  • Not typically a lifelong disorder

Recommendations

• Seek professional diagnosis if symptoms resonate
• Engage in therapy programs (e.g., DBT)
• Utilize therapy for addressing abandonment and connection needs

Conclusion

• Final Note: BPD is not a lifelong condition for most
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