Living with Borderline Personality Disorder: Signs, Struggles, and Support

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health issue that can lead to unstable relationships with yourself and others. Although symptoms of BPD may appear in children or teens, it’s usually not diagnosed until adulthood, since many traits are often outgrown by then.

Fortunately, with the proper treatment, you can live a full life with BPD. Board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner Bosede Iwuamadi, DNP, PMHNP, uses various therapeutic approaches, such as talk therapy. She helps you better understand your behavior and manage unhealthy personality disorders, such as BPD, via telehealth at Newstone Behavioral Health in Garland, Texas.

Recognize the signs

While the cause of BPD is unknown, a childhood history of trauma or abuse, or living with parents facing these issues, is often a factor.

One of the most telling signs of BPD is extreme mood swings. Feelings for those closest to you may alternate from intense love to severe anger. Other symptoms include:

Depression
Anxiety
Unstable relationships
Unrealistic self-view
Ongoing fears of abandonment
Frequent feelings of emptiness and loneliness
Reckless behavior
Feeling disconnected from yourself and/or reality

Dr. Iwuamadi helps you face your past and deal with current mental health issues to create a more stable future.

Day-to-day struggles

Those experiencing BPD often want to enjoy loving, lasting relationships, but instead face fears of abandonment and constant mood swings. These emotions often trigger impulsive behavior that may incite you to harm yourself and others, especially those closest to you.

Self-destructive behaviors include:

Substance abuse
Binge eating
Unsafe sex with multiple partners
Self-harming behaviors such as cutting
Uncontrollable anger
Suicide attempts

BPD may cause you to ricochet between seeing your closest relationships as either perfect or doomed to fail, which often leads to breakups. Therapy helps you understand this disordered way of thinking, allowing you to release your inner demons and improve your relationships.

Get support now

One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is finding help when needed for life’s journey, whether it encompasses BPD or other issues.

Options for BPD therapy include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Talk therapy lies at the heart of BPD treatment. CBT helps alter beliefs stemming from distorted views of yourself and the world. It focuses on replacing negative thoughts and actions with more realistic, helpful ones, reducing destructive actions and anxiety.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

DBT employs a skills-based approach to help you learn how to handle stress and strong emotions better to achieve a healthier relationship with yourself and others.

Medication

While no drugs specifically treat BPD, some may help relieve its symptoms or concurrent disorders. Dr. Iwuamadi may incorporate:

Antidepressants to lessen depression
Mood stabilizers to regulate mood swings
Antipsychotics to help manage extreme aggression or anxiety

Holistic healing

Various mind-body techniques, such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, hiking, music therapy, and regular exercise, reduce stress to lessen anxiety and unwanted behaviors.

Dr. Iwuamadi helps you learn how to recognize your triggers and accept negative situations and emotions without harming yourself or others.

Take the first step towards a more fulfilling life

Borderline personality disorder affects not only your ability to cope with everyday life, but also the lives of those around you.

Dr. Iwuamadi offers a variety of treatments, such as talk therapy, for patients facing the constant ups and downs of BPD. Once the doctor diagnoses your particular problem(s), she may also offer medications to lessen concurrent depression and mood swings.

To better understand BPD and get help for any of your mental health issues via telehealth, simply contact us at Newstone Behavioral Health in Garland, Texas, today.