When an individual recognizes they have a mental problem, it can be quite nerve-wracking at first. Sometimes it takes a family member’s encouragement to finally seek help from a mental healthcare professional. This type of intervention happens quite often, as someone struggling with a mental health condition may not always recognize their symptoms. Speaking with a psychiatrist to determine a diagnosis can be a critical step to living a better life. Deciding to pursue treatment, such as speaking with someone, can come with a whirlwind of emotions. This can be overwhelming for an individual who is already facing challenges with their mind and emotions because of a condition such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Fortunately, anyone with BPD can live a better life by committing to an individualized treatment plan and learning helpful strategies to cope with their condition. Taking time to research the best healthcare facility to work with before committing to treatment can also be highly beneficial.
What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?
As stated by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), BPD is a psychiatric disorder that gravely impacts an individual’s ability to manage their emotions. The degradation of emotional stability can increase impulsivity. This can affect how a person views themselves and cause intense insecure feelings. BPD can cause severe relationship problems with others, often leading to extreme loneliness and isolation. If the mental health condition is left untreated, the disorder can damage many different areas of a person’s life.
An individual may experience:
- Divorce
- Problems maintaining employment
- Inability to keep healthy relationships
- Substance use disorder (SUD)
- Suicide
The Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration (HHS), an individual facing challenges with BPD can often feel uncertain about their identity. Therefore, interests in certain people, activities, and values can change quickly. A person with BPD may view certain events from an extreme perspective. For example, an individual may think something is either fantastic or absolutely devastating. The frame of reference or judgment of other people can abruptly change. For instance, an individual who was once strongly admired or viewed as a role model may be looked down upon the very next day.
This often results in a fierce pattern of unstable connections with others. Learning to recognize and pinpoint the red flags regarding how you are feeling can help you better understand your condition. Not everyone diagnosed with BPD will experience the same symptoms. It is best to be aware of certain signs to potentially help your case or support a loved one.
Symptoms of BPD may also include:
- Extreme impulsive behaviors, including self-harm, promiscuity, addiction, spending sprees, reckless driving, or binge eating
- Intense fear of abandonment
- Repeated crises that can include overdose or impulsive aggression
- Frequent displays of inappropriate anger
- Need for social interaction and fearing being alone
- Varying moods lasting from a few hours to a few days
Helpful Strategies to Cope With Borderline Personality Disorder
Living well with BPD can be quite difficult without professional treatment or not knowing helpful coping strategies. This condition is one of the hardest illnesses to treat. However, improvement is possible. Learning helpful skills to cope with the condition can greatly enhance a person’s outlook. By learning new ways to manage their thoughts and feelings, someone with BPD may see improvement in every aspect of their life.
Individuals with borderline personality disorder have an increased rate of self-injury and suicidal practices than the general population. According to a study published in Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotional Dysregulation, certain strategies make a difference. These strategies help individuals with BPD who have difficulty managing their negative thoughts, experiences, or feelings. By putting these strategies into action, the severity of symptoms and negative outcomes can be greatly reduced.
A few helpful strategies may include:
- Staying busy
- Positive thinking
- Socializing with others
- Practicing skills to stay calm
- Viewing all perspectives in every situation
- Taking care of oneself
- Patiently waiting until feelings pass
How Can Sage Recovery Help?
Sage Recovery & Wellness is a holistically-based mental health treatment center for adults and adolescents in Austin, Texas. Our facility offers behavioral therapy. This type of therapy is based on the study of how behaviors are learned. Whereas talk therapy works to treat the effects of the past, behavioral therapy helps a client better focus on present challenges.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of behavioral therapy Sage Recovery provides to clients. The practice is an effective way to help individuals facing challenges with BPD. DBT works by substituting unsuccessful ways of self-management with better skills. Learning these new ways to manage their mental and emotional aspects helps those with BPD to cope much more effectively with their condition. By focusing on particular goals discussed in therapy, people find that new behaviors can be realistically achieved.
With appropriate resources and additional support from loved ones and healthcare professionals, an individual with BPD can not just ultimately survive but thrive! Taking time to research the condition, learning to recognize the signs and symptoms, and gaining new skills in therapy can turn a person’s life around. Anyone with BPD can seek help and end up feeling happier and healthier than ever.
When we use helpful strategies to cope with difficulties and accept support from mental health professionals, it can make a world of difference. It can be tough to treat symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, combining specific skills with therapy can allow those with BDP to live happily and well. Sage Recovery is a holistic, trauma-informed recovery and wellness center. Our clinical team consists of all licensed master’s-level therapists with specializations in various areas of mental health and substance abuse. We find it important to use treatment approaches that are empirically backed by thorough research. If you feel you are in need of professional help, please contact Sage Recovery at (512) 306-1394 to learn more.