A borderline personality disorder is a mental condition in which a person’s moods fluctuate and changes the way they present themselves to others. For instance, people with this condition may see themselves as less important; they may also view themselves as not loved. According to Videler et al. (2019), A borderline disorder patient may portray the following symptoms: Emotional and personality instability, suicidal thoughts, impulsivity, and self-harm. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM) accepted borderline personality disorder as a mental disorder in 1980 and has since stirred a lot of scientific and clinical attention (Videler et al., 2019). The DSM-5 permits the Diagnosis of BPD on patients under 18, and the persistence is not limited to a particular developmental stage and if the system presented for at least one year. However, the definite DSM concept of BDP has been critiqued due to its diagnostic overlap with other disorders, low dependability, and low practical base. (Videler 2019).
According to Fahlgren et al. (2020), understanding the mechanisms of change on the client is the only way that can help a clinician select the best intervention since this will also help the clinician understand the client and deal with the challenging personality interactions between them. For this reason, I believe that psychotherapy under dialectical behavior therapy is the best approach for Borderline personality disorder.
Watterborg et al. (2020) assert that a study conducted to establish the effectiveness of 12months of DBT for men with BPD showed a decrease in the symptoms of BDP, and participants also presented satisfaction in the treatment since only 30% of cases of dropout were experienced during treatment. This study, therefore, proved that DBT could be the best treatment method for patients with BPD.
According to Flora (2018), most often, individuals who meet diagnostic criteria come from a childhood with problems of attachments. Therefore they always long for a close relationship that is a safe, intimate, and stable relationship, especially during therapy. Since this type of person cannot maintain a close and long-lasting relationship due to the fear of abandonment, it is the duty f a clinician to ensure that they offer a safe and sound environment that can promote this type of relationship.
Good communication between the client and the clinician is an excellent start to a healthy therapeutic relationship. As Flora (2018) asserts, mental health professionals combine good judgment skills with the tendency to communicate with clients. This type ofcommunication will pave the way for training the patient and their family about the diagnosis. Flora (2018) also asserts that relationship management effectively changes focus from diagnosis to social competencies such as self-care, employment, and budgeting. Considering all these needs for an excellent therapeutic relationship means that when breaking the news of a diagnosis to a client, a psychiatrist will need to be patient, which can only be achieved by listening carefully and being sympathetic. Since showing anger and frustrations towards the patient may trigger countertransference reactions such as distancing. When all this relationship is established, the clinician can explain to the client what borderline personality disorder is and how they intend to help the client recover from it.
Since it is also essential for the family members to know the condition that their loved one is suffering from, I would first ask the client for consent to talk to their preferred family members to walk them through the borderline personality disorder and how to manage it.
References
Videler, A. C., Hutsebaut, J., Schulkens, J. E., Sobczak, S., & Van Alphen, S. P. (2019). A life span perspective on borderline personality disorder. Current psychiatry reports, 21(7), 1-8.
Fahlgren, M. K., Berman, M. E., & McCloskey, M. S. (2020). The role of therapeutic alliance in therapy for adults with problematic aggression and associated disorders. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 27(6), 858-886.
Wetterborg, D., Dehlbom, P., Långström, N., Andersson, G., Fruzzetti, A. E., & Enebrink, P. (2020). Dialectical behavior therapy for men with borderline personality disorder and antisocial behavior: A clinical trial. Journal of personality disorders, 34(1), 22-39.
Flora, K. (2018). The therapeutic relationship in borderline personality disorder: a cognitive perspective.
write