When to Seek BPD Treatment

Do you think you have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)? Determining whether or not to find out can be a scary choice, but as with anything having to do with your well-being, it is better to be safe than sorry. 

If you are considering BPD treatment, it’s a good idea to take the following things into consideration. 

Symptoms of BPD 

Whether or not you meet the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder, if you experience any of the following symptoms of BPD, you should talk to a counselor or therapist to get a diagnosis: 

• Feeling empty, alone, hopeless, or misunderstood for more than two weeks
• Hating yourself or being unable to feel comfortable in your own skin
• Feeling unable to change behavior that is harmful to you
• Impulsively engaging in eating, drinking, gambling, or illicit activities 

Experiencing any one of these symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder or a combination of them does not necessarily mean that you have BPD. But it’s worth it to find out. All of these symptoms are treatable, and you can be on your way to feeling better if you seek the help of a treatment professional. 

Making a BPD Diagnosis 

So how does a treatment professional determine if you have Borderline Personality Disorder? Over the course of several sessions, your counselor or therapist will be on the lookout for the following nine characteristics of BPD: 

1. Fear of abandonment and efforts to prevent being abandoned
2. A history of volatile relationships, which are usually close and intense but alternate between extreme attachment and sudden strong repulsion
3. An uncertain sense of self or confusion about identity
4. Impulsive behavior that can range from overspending to misusing prescription drugs
5. Threats of suicide, suicide attempts, or repeated acts of self-mutilation
6. Disturbances in mood manifested as depression, anxiety, and irritability
7. Feeling unexplainably empty
8. Outbursts of temper or trouble managing anger
9. Paranoia or dissociative episodes  

BPD Treatment

None of these symptoms are pleasant ones, but there are treatment professionals who can help you manage your Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms. If you are, in fact, diagnosed with BPD, there are support groups and BPD treatment programs that can help you lead a normal, productive, and fulfilling life. 

Borderline Personality Disorder treatment programs use a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and specialized therapies – such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Somatic Experiencing – to help you learn healthy ways to cope with your BPD. 

Don’t put off getting a diagnosis. The sooner you determine whether or not you have Borderline Personality Disorder, the sooner you can get relief.