Borderline Personality Disorder Research Paper

Borderline Personality Disorder

Definition

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder that is defined as having sever unstable or troubling emotions. BPD is marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships (Human). It was first diagnosed in 1980 as a real mental illness (Human). Before that many patients that suffered from borderline personality disorder had some common symptoms with other mental disorders, they would be diagnosed incorrectly. People that suffer from this disease show unstable mood swings, impulsivity and instability, poor self-image and stormy personal relationships (NAMI, 2015). This leads them to have some sort of abandonment issues as well as sever destructive behavior. It’s estimated that 1.6% of

These and many more are signs to look for when it comes to looking for BPD.

Different Levels Aside from having many types of symptoms, borderline personality disorder can be characterized into four different types. According to Theodore Millon, the four different subtypes of borderline personality disorders are discouraged borderline, impulsive borderline, petulant borderline, and self-destructive borderline. (Lavender, 2013) The first subtype, discouraged borderline, is very similar to dependent personality disorder (Lavender, 2013). Patients that suffer from this subtype are very clingy or codependent. They are the type of person that follows the crowed and get hurt easily if they feel somewhat rejected. They can show anger toward people around them but they do not lash out on other. Rather they inflict mutilation on themselves, and in some case lead to suicide. (Lavender,

One possibility is can be a genetic factor. Although there is no specific genes that contributes to BPD, studies have shown that there is a hereditary link (NAMI, 2015). BPD is about five times more common among people who have a first-degree relative with the disorder (NAMI, 2015). However, studies in this specific field are still relatively new, and there are still much that is unknown. A second factor that can cause borderline personality disorder is the environmental factor. People that may have experienced trauma early on in their life may be susceptible to this disorder. Traumas such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect or separation from caregiver, or even witnessing such trauma on someone else may cause them to become high risk candidates (NAMI, 2015). The last possible cause of developing this type of disorder can be brain function. Researchers have found that the way the brain develops is different when compared to that of a healthy human brain. They believe that there is some sort of neurological bias when it come to the portion of the brain that controls emotions and judgment (NAMI, 2015). They believe that these two portions may not be able to communicate properly, therefore leading to mood swings, self-destructive behavior and so forth. (NAMI,