Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a disorder of the emotional regulation system that is marked by a pervasive pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, mood, and self-image, as well as distinct impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in various contexts.
BPD Causes
It is theorized that the manifestation of borderline personality disorder is due to the transaction between an individual’s biological vulnerability toward emotional dysregulation and an invalidating social environment. Individuals with BPD have a biological vulnerability to have more frequent, intense emotions and impulsivity. This vulnerability is worsened through an invalidating environment, which includes conditions that are neglectful, abusive, traumatic, or those that simply fail to help the individual develop emotional coping skills.
BPD Traits & Symptoms
The difficulties experienced by individuals with BPD are varied and they often exhibit different patterns of behavior and traits throughout their lives. Their predisposition towards emotional vulnerability leads to extreme, long-lasting emotional reactions to life events and a slow return to a normal emotional state. Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder commonly invalidate their own emotional experiences by ignoring, suppressing, judging, or discounting them.
They may take a passive approach to solve problems and expect others to offer solutions even though they appear to be managing their lives quite competently on their own. Another common Borderline Personality Disorder trait is individuals often feel as if they are living a life of quiet desperation and their sense of helplessness and isolation leave them at risk for substance abuse, self-harm and suicidal behaviors.
BPD Diagnosis & Treatment
A diagnosis of BPD is based on interviews, psychological testing and questionnaires, and a review of the individual’s medical history. It is important to recognize that a diagnosis of BPD is not representative of who you are as a person but is simply the first critical step we must take in order to get you the treatment you urgently need.
At DBT Psychological Services of Long Island, BPD Treatment involves Dialectic Behavior Therapy, a comprehensive, evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral therapeutic intervention. Dialectical Behavior Therapy is considered the gold standard treatment for BPD and it has demonstrated effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, eating disorders, and depression.
DBT Treatment For BPD on Long Island
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for BPD involves four main components:
- Skills Training Group
- Individual Treatment
- Phone Coaching
- Consultation Team
DBT Skills Training
DBT Skills Training: This is a weekly group session which involves learning, practicing and reviewing behavioral skills that will enhance the capabilities of the clients. The different skill sets include:
- Mindfulness Skills: the practice of nonjudgmental moment-to-moment awareness
- Distress Tolerance Skills: how to endure pain and suffering in difficult situations, without making the situation worse
- Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills: how to make requests and say no while maintaining self-respect and relationships with other people
- Emotion Regulation Skills: how to change the emotions that you want to change
- Middle Path Skills: how to avoid rigid black and white thinking
Individual Treatment
These weekly sessions focus on increasing the treatment motivation of the client in a collaborative working environment. Clients discuss their problems and behaviors and the therapist helps them apply skills.
Phone Coaching
Clients may contact their therapist between sessions in order to receive in-the-moment coaching on using skills effectively in difficult situations.
Therapist Consultation Team
The therapist consultation team meets on a weekly basis to discuss cases and receive feedback. These meetings help therapists remain motivated and enhance their ability to provide effective BPD treatment.
We Can Help
Our clinicians at DBT Psychological Services of Long Island have been successful in treating people with Borderline Personality Disorder. We offer skill group sessions for adults, adolescents, and families. We do require a one-year commitment for most of our patients and 6 months for adolescents. For more information, call us at 631-828-2082 or visit our contact page and send us a message.
