What Is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and How Is It Treated?
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder linked to early traumatic experiences. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCIB), “surveys have estimated the prevalence of borderline personality disorder to be 1.6% in the general population and 20% of the psychiatric inpatient population.” BPD is characterized by extreme mood swings, rapid changes of interests and values, and substantial uncertainty about a person’s place in the world. Individuals with BPD often engage in risky and dangerous behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse, promiscuity, and self-injurious behaviors, like cutting and suicide attempts.
Iris Wellness Group helps those who are struggling with a dual diagnosis of substance addiction or impulse control disorders and BPD. If you or a loved one needs intensive residential treatment, outpatient therapy, or partial hospitalization, we have a program that can suit your needs. Our expert clinical team is here to help those suffering from BPD learn how to manage the common symptoms of BPD, like:
- “Black-and-white,” “all-or-nothing” thinking styles where everything is either “all good” or “all bad,” with little in between
- Sudden and intense shifts of perceptions and moods
- Intense fear of real or imagined abandonment in personal relationships
- Disturbance of identity due to an unstable self-image
- Dangerous, impulsive, and risky behaviors, like: Binge-eating Substance and alcohol abuse Unsafe sexual practices Reckless driving Cutting or other Self-Injurious Behaviors (SIBs) Spending sprees
- Suicidal ideation and threats of suicide
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Inappropriate, intense, or uncontrollable anger
- Difficulty building trust and maintaining meaningful relationships
- Unstable relationships due to extremes of perception between: Devaluation- reduction of another’s value Idealization- exaggeration of another’s positive attributes.
There Is Hope: Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder
Treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) with a co-occurring addiction can include multiple strategies to address all aspects of the disorder and addiction, such as:
- Group therapy
- One-on-one counseling
- Support groups
- Family therapy
- Holistic treatment
- Medication to treat co-occurring mood swings, depression, and anxiety
At Iris Wellness Group, our staff can help you find the best approach for your personalized treatment plan. Our comprehensive program is precipitated on the philosophy of “meeting people exactly where they are.” Our team is comprised of caring, knowledgeable, and sympathetic professionals who are passionate about helping those struggling with BPD and addiction. We offer therapy based on one of the most effective treatments for BPD: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
