Boarderline Personality Disorder

Boarderline personality disorder is a relatively recent term for a relatively timeless emotional impairment. People have suffered from Boarderline personality disorder going back millennia; Roman emperors like Nero surely did, for example, and he wasn't likely the only one.

Boarderline personality disorder itself is not a mental illness to be dismissed. It's a serious affliction, and it's characterized primarily by an inability to control one's moods. Rapid mood swings from euphoric to depressed to suicidal and back are the hallmarks of Boarderline personality disorder, and people suffering from the illness need therapy and treatment so as to not do themselves or others any harm.

That harm can come in several different shades. There is, of course, the potential for physical violence (as there is with all people, really). But harm can also come from the disruption of or inability to work, withdrawl from family and friends, an inability to engage in foresight or some sort of long-term planning, and, eventually a loss of the sense of one's self, for the lack of a better description.

Boarderline personality disorder is most common in young women, and is actually farm more common than related illnesses like manic depression and schizophrenia. It is also quite likely to be less overt and more treatable, but that doesn't mean it's to be taken lightly.

Drug and alcohol abuse are symptoms of Boarderline personality disorder, as are high risk behaviors such as unprotected casual sex, binge eating and excessive spending. There's also a tendency among those suffering from Boarderline personality disorder to drive recklessly and take chances that others would normally abhor.

The difference between Boarderline personality disorder and depression is that these mood swings can last for as little as a few minutes and almost never more than a full day. People who are suffering from depression, on the other hand, tend to maintain their moods for days or weeks at a time. In both cases, however, there is a serious risk of self-injury and even suicide.

Group and individual therapy have been godsends in recent years for those suffering from Boarderline personality disorder, and treatment has come a long way in the past decade. Chemical treatments, however, have not been as effective, with tests showing that placebos (pills that lack any chemical content) are as effective in closed studies as antipsychotics. There is more testing to be done in that regard, but for now, if you or a loved one is suffering from Boarderline personality disorder, your best bet is to talk through it rather than medicate.