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Why Are Personality Disorders Seen As Distinct From Other Mental Disorders?

A mental disorder, also referred to as a psychiatric disorder or a mental illness, is characterized by a “clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior… [and] it is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning.” In general terms, a mental disorder can be defined as an illness of the human mind. The World Health Organization (WHO) describe personality disorders as “deeply ingrained and enduring behavior patterns, manifesting themselves as inflexible responses to a broad range of personal and social situations’; they represent ‘either extreme or significant deviations from the way the average individual in a given culture perceives, thinks, feels, and particularly relates to others’ and are ‘developmental conditions, which appear in childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood.” Data provided by the Cambridge University Press indicates that the global pooled prevalence of any personality disorder is 7.8%.

Types Of Personality Disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) list ten standalone personality disorders. Based on similar symptoms and overlapping characteristics, each personality disorder is categorized into one of three clusters (cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C). The ten types of personality disorders and their associated clusters, as provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), include:

Cluster A: characterized as odd or eccentric personalities.
- Paranoid: mistrust and suspicion
- Schizoid: disinterest in others
- Schizotypal: eccentric ideas and behavior
Cluster B: characterized as dramatic, emotional, or erratic personalities.
- Antisocial: disregard for others, manipulation of others for personal gain, social irresponsibility
- Borderline: intolerance of being alone and emotional dysregulation
- Histrionic: attention seeking
- Narcissistic: fragile self-esteem, underlying dysregulation, overt grandiosity
Cluster C: characterized as anxious or fearful personalities.
- Avoidant: avoidance of interpersonal contact due to rejection sensitivity
- Dependent: submissive and a need to be taken care of
- Obsessive-compulsive: rigidity, obstinacy, and perfectionism

Although historically, personality disorders have been viewed as fundamentally different from mental disorders, clinical and genetic evidence have come to recognize personality disorders as a sub-group of mental illness.

Treatment In Calabasas

Calabasas is a city in California. It is a well-known suburb of Los Angeles, located west of the San Fernando Valley and north of the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the past decade, the city of Calabasas has grown in its reputation for luxury as well as for privacy which makes it a hidden gem for residential living for society’s elite, and one of the most desirable destinations in Los Angeles County. It is also home to a plethora of highly qualified mental health clinicians providing an array of therapeutic services and treatment options.

The information above is provided for the use of informational purposes only. The above content is not to be substituted for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, as in no way is it intended as an attempt to practice medicine, give specific medical advice, including, without limitation, advice concerning the topic of mental health. As such, please do not use any material provided above to disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment.

Norman In Borderline Personality Disorder

How To Deal With A BPD Diagnosis?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a chronic, mental disorder. The Merck Manual explains that BPD is “characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability and hypersensitivity in interpersonal relationships, instability in self-image, extreme mood fluctuations, and impulsivity.” Emotional dysregulation is a term used within the mental health field to denote irrational, poorly modulated emotional responses, which is a core feature of borderline personality disorder. The symptoms that manifest because of BPD often mimic those of other mental health disorders (e.g., histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, bipolar personality disorder, etc.), making it one of the most commonly misdiagnosed mental health conditions. Still, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) estimates that 1.4% of the adult population in America experience BPD. Borderline personality disorder is a mental health condition that requires long-term treatment.

Formal Treatment

Every individual is unique, and each will require a customized treatment plan that is directly informed by his or her nuanced mental health needs. These plans are typically comprised of a combination of different treatment approaches, and often include long-term participation in psychodynamic models of psychotherapy such as:

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was developed specifically to treat individuals with BPD. It is a form of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) that places greater emphasis on the psychosocial aspect of treatment. DBT focuses on how one’s thoughts and beliefs can lead to actions and behaviors. This skills-based approach teaches how to manage emotions, tolerate distress, and improve relationships through group and individual therapy sessions.
Schema-focused therapy incorporates aspects of CBT and psychoanalytic theories. It helps to identify unmet needs that have led to unhealthy ways of thinking about the world. Conducted in an individual setting or group setting, schema-focused therapy challenges maladaptive beliefs and behaviors and focuses on promoting positive life patterns.
Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) emphasizes thinking before reacting. This is accomplished through helping an individual identify his or her own thoughts and feelings and creating an alternate perspective on the situation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve a medication explicitly designed to treat borderline personality disorder. There are, however, certain medications that can help to alleviate and/ or reduce some of the symptoms arising from BPD or co-occurring disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.). Common examples of types of medication prescribed as a component of one’s BPD treatment plan include:

Antidepressants: Celexa (citalopram), Prozac (fluoxetine)
Anticonvulsants/ mood stabilizers: Topamax (topiramate), Lamictal (lamotrigine)
Anti-anxiety medications/ anxiolytics: Lexapro (escitalopram), Zoloft (sertraline)
Antipsychotics: Rexulti (brexpiprazole)

The most effective way to deal with BPD is through learning to accept the condition, understanding the implications of treatment, and adhere to one’s recovery plan.

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Norman In Borderline Personality Disorder

Can You Work With A Personality Disorder?

The World Health Organization describe personality disorders as “deeply ingrained and enduring behavior patterns, manifesting themselves as inflexible responses to a broad range of personal and social situations’; they represent ‘either extreme or significant deviations from the way the average individual in a given culture perceives, thinks, feels, and particularly relates to others’ and are ‘developmental conditions, which appear in childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood.” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) list ten standalone personality disorders and based on similar characteristics, each personality disorder is grouped into one of three categories (cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C). According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) cluster A personality disorders are characterized by eccentric, odd thinking, or behavior; cluster B personality disorders are characterized by overly emotional, dramatic, or unpredictable thinking or behavior; and cluster C personality disorders are characterized by fearful, anxious thinking or behavior. An estimated 9% of U.S. adults have at least one personality disorder.

Untreated personality disorders can adversely affect every facet of an individual’s life (e.g., occupationally, professionally, personally, etc.). For example, it can be very difficult for an individual with an untreated personality disorder to maintain steady employment. Participating in some type of formal treatment is required to minimize the effects a personality disorder can have on one’s professional life. The first step in the treatment process is to obtain an accurate diagnosis from a qualified mental healthcare provider. According to the Mayo Clinic, a personality disorder diagnosis will be determined by a physical exam, a psychiatric evaluation, and diagnostic criteria provided in the DSM-5. The diagnosis of a personality disorder, according to the DSM-5 and explicitly outlined by the Mayo Clinic generally include “long-term marked deviation from cultural expectations that lead to significant distress or impairment” in a minimum of two of the following areas:

The way you perceive and interpret yourself, other people, and events.
The appropriateness of your emotional responses.
How well you function when dealing with other people and in relationships.
Whether you can control your impulses.

It is possible for a person to present with symptoms associated with more than one personality disorder. There are a variety of mental health treatment options, and the path of recovery will not be the same for everyone. An individual struggling with a personality disorder will benefit most from a customized treatment plan. For some, integrating a combination of one or more psychotherapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, interpersonal therapy (IPT), and more, along with medication into one’s treatment plan may provide optimum chances for a successful outcome. Treatment plans may also include refining one’s daily habits (e.g., practicing mindfulness techniques, exercising regularly, developing healthy sleeping habits, eating nutritiously, etc.) to further improve one’s overall health and wellbeing. While some mental health conditions are curable, meaning after medical treatment, the person no longer has that condition, personality disorders are chronic mental health conditions. The purpose of treatment for personality disorders is not to reverse a diagnosis, rather treatment aims to help an individual learn to manage its symptoms, decrease distressing emotions and behaviors, reduce harmful actions, and meaningfully improve his or her ability to function in all aspects of his or her life.

Treatment In Calabasas

Norman In Borderline Personality Disorder

How Do You Work With BPD?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) list ten standalone personality disorders and based on similar characteristics, each personality disorder is grouped into one of three categories (cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C). Borderline personality disorder (BPD) belongs to cluster B, which according to the Mayo Clinic are “characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior.” More specifically, BPD is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), as “an illness characterized by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, behavior, and self-image.” The signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder are highlighted in the diagnostic criteria that is outlined in the DSM-5. Due to the illusive nature of its symptoms paired with the fact that many symptoms overlap with other mental health ailments, BPD is notoriously known as one of the most difficult mental health illnesses to both diagnose and treat.

Tips For Working With Clients With BPD

BPD directly impacts the way individuals interpret information, primarily as it relates to others’ intentions. Thus, it is highly common for people with BPD to feel rejected, abandoned, misunderstood, judged, inferior, and isolated. An individual with BPD experiences profound perceptual shifts and disordered reactions to those perceptions, which causes them to constantly precieve events and personal interactions differently than those around them. This can make treating someone with borderline personality disorder complicated. Nevertheless, there are several key principles that have been established and are important to bear in mind when working with an individual diagnosed with BPD. To guide your treatment protocol, experts suggest considering the following strategies:

Be compassionate.
Demonstrate empathy.
Listen to the person’s current experience.
Validate the person’s current emotional state.
Take the person’s experience seriously, noting verbal and non-verbal communications.
Maintain a non-judgmental approach.
Remain calm.
Remain respectful.
Remain caring.
Engage in open communication.
Be open and prepared to acknowledge both the serious and comical side of life, where appropriate.
Foster trust to allow strong emotions to be freely expressed.
Be clear, consistent, and reliable.
Convey encouragement and hope about their capacity for change.

Treatment for BPD aims to help an individual learn strategies, techniques, and tools to reduce the severity of symptoms while simultaneously cultivating an enhanced ability to effectively manage its associated symptoms.

Treatment In Calabasas

Norman In Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder and Fear of Abandonment

Psychology Today characterizes fear of abandonment as “a lingering feeling of insecurity, contributing to intrusive thoughts, emptiness, unstable sense of self, clinginess, neediness, extreme mood fluctuations, and frequent relationship conflicts.” It is a complex phenomenon that can stem from a variety of sources, including interruptions in the normal development of certain cognitive and emotional capacities, challenges with past relationships, and other problematic social and life experiences. It is important to note that fear of abandonment is a natural part of the human psyche and is hardwired into our survival mechanism. Humans are born into the world and as infants, are fully dependent upon others to survive and thrive. Hence, the idea of being abandoned and left entirely and forever alone should elicit feelings of terror.

Psychologists and neuroscientists explain and understand the fear of abandonment through the lens of attachment theories. People with anxious-preoccupied attachment, for example, tend to feel fear of abandonment and rejection more consciously. This leads them to develop persistent emotional and behavioral patterns around these fears more so than people with other attachment styles. Fear of abandonment may cause a person to experience deep feelings of sadness and hollowness when a person to whom they are attached is not physically by their side. It may cause an unexplainable fear that a loved one will be hurt, killed, or disappear suddenly. Although, fear of abandonment itself is not a pathology, it is a core feature of certain mental health disorders.

Borderline Personality Disorder

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) list ten standalone personality disorders and based on similar characteristics, each personality disorder is grouped into one of three categories (cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C). Borderline personality disorder (BPD) belongs to cluster B, which are characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior. BPD is specifically characterized by “hypersensitivity to rejection and resulting instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, affect, and behavior.” A hallmark of BPD is a pattern of instability in personal relationships. As is explained by Harvard Medical School, “People with borderline personality disorder have a deep fear of abandonment… they compete for social acceptance, are terrified of rejection and often feel lonely even in the context of an intimate relationship.” Even with the strong desire to have loving, and lasting relationships, the symptoms of BPD such as inappropriate anger, impulsiveness, and frequent mood swings often push others away, which reinforces the fear of abandonment.

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Norman In Borderline Personality Disorder

5 Things To Remember When You Have BPD

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a chronic, mental health disorder. It is a complex psychological condition that is characterized by pervasive instability in moods, emotions, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. This instability interferes with one’s ability to function in his or her daily life, long-term planning, as well as an individual’s sense of identity. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatment options available for a person diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Still, having a diagnosis of and living with BDP can be challenging. Therefore, it can be helpful to bear the following in mind:

You are not manipulative or attention-seeking: A hallmark symptom of BPD is to experience a rapid onset of intense emotions. As a result, people with this condition can quickly become extremely distressed. When someone with BPD is upset, it is because they are genuinely distressed and struggling to cope with those feelings, while trying to manage an incredibly complex mental health condition. You deserve to have your distress listened to, respected, validated, and taken seriously.
You are loveable and can be in a healthy relationship: Relationships can feel like a whirlwind at times, because when someone with BPD, especially those struggling with chronic feelings of emptiness or loneliness, develops a real connection, the intensity is akin to any other emotion they experience. Your BPD, emotional sensitivity or mental health difficulties do not mean there is something unlovable about you. On the flip side, people with BPD have a lot of love to give, so much that it can be overwhelming. People with BPD can have successful long-term relationships, lasting for decades.

Do not believe everything you read: The is an array of content, across all entertainment platforms (e.g., websites, videos, movies, podcasts, etc.) that depict people with BPD in a negative light (e.g., abusers, monsters, bullies, etc.). Additionally, some books and research papers portray people with BPD as helpless, vengeful, or vindictive. Whilst mental health ailments are becoming better understood and more accurately represented, this shift seems to be occurring much more slowly for personality disorders, such as BPD, and the stigma continues to cause detrimental consequences.
You did not cause BPD: Although the cause of borderline personality disorder remains unknown, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) alludes to research that “suggests that genetics, brain structure and function, and environmental, cultural, and social factors play a role, or may increase the risk for developing borderline personality disorder.”
You are not alone: Borderline personality disorder is not an uncommon disorder, as an 1.4% of the adult population in America experience BPD.

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Rahul In Borderline Personality Disorder

How Do I Know If Someone Has Borderline Personality Disorder?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) list ten standalone personality disorders and based on similar characteristics, each personality disorder is grouped into one of three categories (cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C). Borderline personality disorder (BPD) belongs to cluster B, which according to the Mayo Clinic are “characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior.” More specifically, the Merck Manual explains that BPD is “characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability and hypersensitivity in interpersonal relationships, instability in self-image, extreme mood fluctuations, and impulsivity.” Emotional dysregulation is a term used within the mental health field to denote irrational, poorly modulated emotional responses, which is a core feature of borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder is not an uncommon disorder, as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) estimates that 1.4% of the adult population in America experience BPD. The cause of borderline personality disorder remains unknown, but the NIH alludes to research that “suggests that genetics, brain structure and function, and environmental, cultural, and social factors play a role, or may increase the risk for developing borderline personality disorder.” Although there are several warning signs that can be indicative of BPD, without a comprehensive evaluation that is conducted by one or more qualified mental health professionals, it is essentially impossible to truly know if someone has borderline personality disorder.

Signs and Symptoms

Every individual is different and has the propensity to exhibit a unique combination of signs and symptoms related to borderline personality disorder. The symptoms of borderline personality disorder typically result in overarching interpersonal relationship complications and impulsive actions. The Mayo Clinic provides examples of signs and symptoms that are commonly exhibited in individuals with borderline personality disorder, some of which include, but are not limited to the following:

Engaging in risky and/ or impulsive behaviors (e.g., reckless driving, excessive gambling, binge eating, substance abuse, unsafe sex, etc.)
Intense fear of abandonment
Suicidal ideations
Self-injury
Severe mood swings (e.g., elation, irritability, shame, anxiety, etc.)
Pattern of unstable relationships
Irrational displays of anger
Distorted self-image
Feelings of emptiness
Stress related paranoia

Some individuals may experience numerous symptoms of BPD, while others may only experience a few symptoms. Research indicates that individuals with borderline personality disorder may experience intense episodes of depression, anxiety and/ or anger that could last from a few hours to several days long. The symptoms that manifest because of borderline personality disorder often mimic those of other mental health disorders (e.g., histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, bipolar personality etc.). In fact, BPD is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed mental health conditions in America.

Rahul In Anxiety, Borderline Personality Disorder, Mental Health

What Are The Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a chronic, mental health disorder. It is a complex psychological condition that is characterized by pervasive instability in moods, emotions, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships which interfere with one’s ability to function in everyday life. It can be difficult to determine who will develop borderline personality disorder as the cause of BPD remains unknown. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) alludes to research that “suggests that genetics, brain structure and function, and environmental, cultural, and social factors play a role, or may increase the risk for developing borderline personality disorder.” BPD typically develops in early adulthood, often with more severe symptoms occurring in the early stages of onset.

Symptoms & Diagnostic Criteria

Borderline personality disorder directly affects how one feels about him or herself, one’s behavior as well as how an individual can relate to others. It is not uncommon for people with BPD to feel extremely intense emotions for extended periods of time. This makes returning to a stable emotional baseline far more challenging, especially after experiencing an emotionally triggering event. According to the DSM-5 key signs and symptoms of BPD may include:

Unstable personal relationships that alternate between idealization and devaluation, sometimes referred to as splitting

Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment by family and friends

Impulsive behaviors resulting in dangerous outcomes (e.g., engaging in unsafe sex, reckless driving, abuse of drugs, etc.)

Distorted and unstable self-image, affecting one’s moods, relationships, goals, values, and/ or opinions

Self-harming behavior (e.g., suicidal threats)

Chronic feelings of emptiness and/ or boredom

Periods of intense depressed mood, irritability and/ or anxiety lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days long

Dissociative feelings

Intense, inappropriate, and/ or uncontrollable anger, typically followed by feelings of guilt and/ or shame

More specifically, the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-5, indicates that to be clinically diagnosed with BPD an individual must experience five or more of the following symptoms, in a variety of contexts,:

Emotional instability
Feelings of emptiness
Efforts to avoid abandonment
Impulsive behaviors
Identity disturbances
Inappropriate, irrational and/ or intense bouts of anger
Transient paranoid and/ or dissociative symptoms
Unstable interpersonal relationships
Suicidal and/ or self-harming behaviors

Due to the quick changing nature of signs and symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder, it is notoriously known as a difficult to diagnose illness. The treatment for BPD often includes long-term participation in psychodynamic models of psychotherapy such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT was developed by Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s, as a means to more effectively treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. It is an evidence-based psychotherapy that combines techniques from western cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psycho-educational modules, and eastern mindfulness-based practices to foster the systematic learning of new emotional coping skills. Since its inception, dialectical behavior therapy has been and remains the gold standard method of treatment for individuals diagnosed with BPD.

Rahul In Anxiety, Borderline Personality Disorder, Mental Health

Main Cause Of Borderline Personality Disorder?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) list ten standalone personality disorders based on similar characteristics, and each personality disorder is grouped into one of three categories (cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C). Borderline personality disorder (BPD) belongs to cluster B, which according to the Mayo Clinic are “characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior.” More specifically BPD is characterized by “a pervasive pattern of instability and hypersensitivity in interpersonal relationships, instability in self-image, extreme mood fluctuations, and impulsivity.” The symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder can pervasively interfere with an individual’s ability to function optimally in his or her daily life. Most commonly, BPD develops in early adulthood, often with more severe symptoms occurring in the early stages of onset

BPD Triggers & Risk Factors

A trigger, in the context of BPD typically refers to something that precipitates the exacerbation of one’s BPD symptoms. Johns Hopkins Medicine explains “triggers are external events or circumstances that may produce very uncomfortable emotional or psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, panic, discouragement, despair, or negative self-talk.” While BPD triggers can vary from person to person, there are some types of triggers that are more common in BPD, such as the following examples:

Perceived or real abandonment
Rejection of any kind
Loss of a job
Locations that invoke negative memories
Reminders of traumatic events
Ending a relationship

Many borderline personality disorder triggers arise from interpersonal distress. When it comes to understanding the specific cause of this disease, there is no solitary scientific reason behind why an individual develops borderline personality disorder. Rather there are several contributing factors that have been recognized as possibly playing a role in its development, potentially increasing one’s susceptibility to BPD. These factors may include, but are not limited to the following, provided by the National Institute of Mental Health:

Genetics: people with a family history (e.g., parent, sibling, etc.) with BPD may be at increased risk of developing borderline personality disorder. Psychology Today assert that BPD is approximately five times more common among people with close biological relatives with BPD.
Environmental factors: growing up in an unstable, neglectful, and/ or abusive environment could increase one’s risk for developing BPD.
Brain factors: some studies have indicated that individuals diagnosed with BPD have structural and/ or functional abnormalities, specifically in the areas of the brain that reign emotional regulation and impulse control. Furthermore, deviations from typical serotonin (hormone that works to stabilize one’s mood, happiness, and feelings of well-being) production could increase one’s vulnerability to BPD.

Although the above factors may contribute to the development of BPD, exposure to one or more risk factors does not indicate an individual will inevitably to go on to develop borderline personality disorder. Since the root of borderline personality disorder remains unknown, it is impossible to isolate a single cause that accurately and universally explains its development.

Rahul In Borderline Personality Disorder

Is There A Connection Between BPD and OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as an anxiety disorder. It is a neuropsychiatric disorder affecting between 1 to 3 percent of the population. OCD is characterized as a mental illness involving recurrent unwanted thoughts and/ or actions. OCD is known as one of the most common mental illnesses in America. The precise cause as to why an individual develops obsessive-compulsive disorder remains unknown. Several risk factors that have been noted to increase one’s predisposition for developing OCD include:

Presence of other mental health disorder
Family history of OCD (e.g., parent, child, and/ or sibling diagnosed with OCD)
Differences in the makeup of one’s brain
History of child abuse (e.g., physical, verbal, and/ or sexual)
Experience with trauma

It is also possible for OCD to develop in children because of a streptococcal infection. This is referred to as PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections). An individual with OCD will engage in repeated and compulsive rituals that greatly interfere with his or her daily life.

Borderline Personality Disorder

The DSM-5 lists ten personality disorders that are classified into clusters. Although each personality disorder has distinct characteristics, each of the different personality disorders is categorized into one of three clusters (cluster A, cluster B and cluster C). The personality disorders that make up each clusters share similar symptoms and have overlapping characteristics. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is listed under cluster B in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and is recognized as a chronic, mental health disorder. As defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), “borderline personality disorder is an illness characterized by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, behavior, and self-image.” The cause for borderline personality disorder remains unknown. However, research “suggests that genetics, brain structure and function, and environmental, cultural, and social factors play a role, or may increase the risk for developing borderline personality disorder.” It is highly common for individuals with BPD to lack the ability to foster and maintain meaningful, lasting relationships.

The Connection

Experts haveon noted that “personality disorders are a common comorbidity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.” The most evident connection between BPD and OCD relate to the symptoms present in both ailments. The Journal of Psychopathology asserts “Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are…considered intrinsically related to borderline psychopathology. These symptoms are severe and are characterized in BPD patients by poor insight and resistance and obsessive control evident in personal relationships.” The symptoms that manifest because of borderline personality disorder often mimic those of other mental health disorders, which can make the diagnosis process rather challenging. It is, however, possible to be diagnosed with BPD and OCD. In fact, studies show that between 75 and 90 percent of people with BPD also meet the diagnostic criteria for at least one type of anxiety disorder, such as OCD. Specifically, evidence of a higher-than-expected overlap between OCD and BPD first came from the Epidemiological Catchment Area study, where 23 percent of those with BPD also met criteria for OCD. Subsequent studies have consistently supported these findings with rates as high as 15 to 35 percent.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Why Are Personality Disorders Seen As Distinct From Other Mental Disorders?

Types Of Personality Disorders

How To Deal With A BPD Diagnosis?

Formal Treatment

Can You Work With A Personality Disorder?

How Do You Work With BPD?

Tips For Working With Clients With BPD

Borderline Personality Disorder and Fear of Abandonment

Borderline Personality Disorder

5 Things To Remember When You Have BPD

How Do I Know If Someone Has Borderline Personality Disorder?

Signs and Symptoms

What Are The Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder?

Symptoms & Diagnostic Criteria

Main Cause Of Borderline Personality Disorder?

BPD Triggers & Risk Factors

Is There A Connection Between BPD and OCD?

Borderline Personality Disorder

The Connection

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