Why do therapists find it difficult to treat BPD?

Personality disorders are difficult to treat because it's very difficult for someone suffering from one of these disorders to separate their personality (how they interact with others, how they view the world, and how they think about themselves) from the symptoms of their mental illness.


Why won't some therapists treat BPD?

Some therapists work around this by diagnosing comorbid conditions, such as anxiety or depression, that are often present with BPD symptoms. Other therapists are uncomfortable with this practice and, for this reason, avoid treating BPD.

Is borderline personality disorder the hardest to treat?

Borderline personality disorder historically has been viewed as challenging to treat. But with newer, evidence-based treatment, many people with this disorder experience fewer and less severe symptoms, improved functioning, and better quality of life.


Why is BPD treatment resistant?

Family issues as a source of resistance

Another important source of resistance in treating patients with BPD is their notion that change may entail betraying their family in particular ways as well as giving up habits they may feel work well for them in avoiding feelings.

Why is borderline personality disorder so difficult?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms of this disorder overlap with many other conditions, such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and even eating disorders.


Why Isn’t Borderline Personality Disorder Treated Like This Illness?



What is the most difficult personality disorder to treat?

Treating antisocial personality disorder

But antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult types of personality disorders to treat. A person with antisocial personality disorder may also be reluctant to seek treatment and may only start therapy when ordered to do so by a court.

Why is BPD misdiagnosed?

Many mental health professionals do not have a lot exposure or education on BPD, so it's easy for BPD to be misdiagnosed as something else such as bipolar disorder since both disorders involve shifting moods and periods of depression.

What is the success rate of BPD treatment?

Follow up studies of people with BPD receiving treatment found a borderline personality disorder treatment success rate of about 50% over a 10-year period. BPD takes time to improve, but treatment does work.


What is the most effective treatment of borderline personality disorder currently?

Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy — also called talk therapy — is a fundamental treatment approach for borderline personality disorder.

What happens if borderline personality disorder is not treated?

Borderline personality disorder can significantly affect a family unit in a negative way. When a loved one is not being treated for this condition, effects on the family can include excessive conflict, diminished contact, and the loss of previously valued relationships.

How severe is borderline personality disorder?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness characterized by intense mood swings and difficulty in relationships. A person who has BPD feels emotions with great intensity, and episodes of anger, anxiety or depression can go on for several days.


Is borderline personality disorder considered severe?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder affecting around 1% of the population. It is associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity,2 impairment in social function3 and a high rate of service utilisation. Personality disorder as a whole is associated with reduced life expectancy.

Do borderlines feel remorse?

Only remorse leads to a real apology and change. One of the hallmarks of people with Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder (BP/NP) is that they often do not feel truly sorry. Even though a BP/NP may say he or she is sorry, there is often something lacking.

Why do therapists stigmatize people with borderline?

Because, unlike virtually every other mental disorder in the book, borderline personality disorder is seen as one of the worst of all disorders to try and treat. People with BPD are the most stigmatized amongst a population already burdened with heavy stigma, people with mental health concerns.


What is the stigma around BPD?

If you have BPD, you may experience a variety of forms of stigma such as people avoiding you because they think you might be unstable, or people blaming you for your condition and telling you to grow up or change your behavior.

What is the prognosis for a patient with a borderline personality disorder?

What is the prognosis (outlook) for borderline personality disorder? Most of the time, BPD symptoms gradually decrease with age. Some people's symptoms disappear in their 40s. With the right treatment, many people with BPD learn to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Is there any hope for someone with borderline personality disorder?

Borderline Personality Disorder is without question treatable. It takes time – healing is a marathon, never a sprint – but with early intervention, compassionate support, and appropriate treatment, individuals living with BPD can improve and ultimately thrive.


How do therapists treat borderline personality disorder?

Therapy may be given one-on-one and through support groups, enabling people with BPD to interact with others. The most effective type of therapy appears to be dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This type of therapy focuses on the concept of mindfulness, or being aware of and attentive to the current situation.

Who is most diagnosed with borderline personality disorder?

Nearly 75% of people diagnosed with BPD are women. Recent research suggests that men may be equally affected by BPD, but are commonly misdiagnosed with PTSD or depression.

Can you outgrow borderline personality disorder?

BPD in adulthood

Studies found that most patients with BPD improve with time. After 2 years, 1/4 of patients experience a remission (less than 2 symptoms for a period of 2 months or longer) of BPD diagnosis. After 10 years, 91% achieved remission of at least 2 months and 85% achieving remission for 12 months or longer.


What percentage of the world has borderline personality disorder?

BPD has a lifetime prevalence of approximately 6 percent. The disorder is associated with receiving extensive clinical attention and the disorder is more widely studied than any other personality disorder.

What mimics borderline?

The symptoms of BPD are very broad, and some can be similar to or overlap with other mental health problems, such as:
  • Bipolar disorder.
  • Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD)
  • Depression.
  • Anxiety.
  • Psychosis.
  • Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)


What does dissociation look like in BPD?

With regard to the dissociative experiences endorsed, almost all patients reported identity confusion, unexplained mood changes, and depersonalization. Even those BPD patients with mild DD reported derealization, depersonalization, and dissociative amnesia.


Is BPD on a spectrum?

It is now clear that DSM-IV-defined BPD is a heterogeneous construct that includes patients on the mood disorder spectrum and the impulsivity spectrum (Siever and Davis, 1991), in contrast to the original speculation that these patients might be near neighbors of patients with schizophrenia or other psychoses.

What is the most serious psychological disorder?

By all accounts, serious mental illnesses include “schizophrenia-spectrum disorders,” “severe bipolar disorder,” and “severe major depression” as specifically and narrowly defined in DSM. People with those disorders comprise the bulk of those with serious mental illness.