| Raising questions, finding answersBorderline personality | | | | BPD patients report having been sexually abused, |
| disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness characterized | | | | usually by a non-caregiver.Researchers believe that |
| by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal | | | | BPD results from a combination of individual |
| relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability | | | | vulnerability to environmental stress, neglect or abuse |
| often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, | | | | as young children. A series of events that trigger the |
| and the individual's sense of self-identity.Originally | | | | onset of the disorder as young adults.Adults with BPD |
| thought to be at the "borderline" of psychosis, people | | | | are also considerably more likely to be the victim of |
| with BPD suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation. | | | | violence, including rape and other crimes. This may |
| While less well known than schizophrenia or bipolar | | | | result from both harmful environments as well as |
| disorder (manic-depressive illness), BPD is more | | | | impulsivity and poor judgment in choosing partners and |
| common, affecting 2 percent of adults, mostly young | | | | lifestyles.NIMH-funded neuroscience research is |
| women.There are a high rate of self-injury without | | | | revealing brain mechanisms underlying the impulsivity, |
| suicide intent, as well as a significant rate of suicide | | | | mood instability, aggression, anger, and negative |
| attempts and completed suicide in severe cases. | | | | emotion seen in BPD. Studies suggest that people |
| Patients often need extensive mental health services, | | | | predisposed to impulsive aggression have impaired |
| and account for 20 percent of psychiatric | | | | regulation of the neural circuits that modulate emotion. |
| hospitalizations.Yet, with help, many improve over time | | | | The amygdale, a small almond-shaped structure deep |
| and are eventually able to lead productive lives. | | | | inside the brain, is an important component of the circuit |
| Symptoms While a person with depression or bipolar | | | | that regulates negative emotion.In response to signals |
| disorder typically endures the same mood for weeks. | | | | from other brain centers indicating a perceived threat, it |
| A person with BPD may experience intense bouts of | | | | marshals fear and arousal. This might be more |
| anger, depression, and anxiety that may last only | | | | pronounced under the influence of drugs like alcohol, or |
| hours, or at most a day. These may be associated | | | | stress. Areas in the front of the brain (pre-frontal area) |
| with episodes of impulsive aggression, self-injury, and | | | | act to dampen the activity of this circuit. Recent brain |
| drug or alcohol abuse.Distortions in cognition and sense | | | | imaging studies show that individual differences in the |
| of self can lead to frequent changes in long-term | | | | ability to activate regions of the prefrontal cerebral |
| goals, career plans, jobs, friendships, gender identity, | | | | cortex thought to be involved in inhibitory activity |
| and values. Sometimes people with BPD view | | | | predict the ability to suppress negative |
| themselves as fundamentally bad, or unworthy. They | | | | emotion.Serotonin, nor epinephrine and acetylcholine |
| may feel unfairly misunderstood or mistreated, bored, | | | | are among the chemical messengers in these circuits |
| empty, and have little idea who they are. Such | | | | that play a role in the regulation of emotions, including |
| symptoms are most acute when people with BPD feel | | | | sadness, anger, anxiety, and irritability. Drugs that |
| isolated and lacking in social support, and may result in | | | | enhance brain serotonin function may improve |
| frantic efforts to avoid being alone.People with BPD | | | | emotional symptoms in BPD.Likewise, mood-stabilizing |
| often have highly unstable patterns of social | | | | drugs that are known to enhance the activity of |
| relationships. While they can develop intense but | | | | GABA, the brain's major inhibitory neurotransmitter, |
| stormy attachments, their attitudes towards family, | | | | may help people who experience BPD-like mood |
| friends, and loved ones may suddenly shift from | | | | swings. Such brain-based vulnerabilities can be |
| idealization (great admiration and love) to devaluation | | | | managed with help from behavioral interventions and |
| (intense anger and dislike).Thus, they may form an | | | | medications, much like people manage susceptibility to |
| immediate attachment and idealize the other person, | | | | diabetes or high blood pressure.Future Progress |
| but when a slight separation or conflict occurs, they | | | | Studies that translate basic findings about the neural |
| switch unexpectedly to the other extreme and angrily | | | | basis of temperament, mood regulation, and cognition |
| accuse the other person of not caring for them at all. | | | | into clinically relevant insights which bear directly on |
| Even with family members, individuals with BPD are | | | | BPD represent a growing area of NIMH-supported |
| highly sensitive to rejection, reacting with anger and | | | | research.Research is also underway to test the |
| distress to such mild separations as a vacation, a | | | | efficacy of combining medications with behavioral |
| business trip, or a sudden change in plans.These fears | | | | treatments like DBT, and gauging the effect of |
| of abandonment seem to be related to difficulties | | | | childhood abuse and other stress in BPD on brain |
| feeling emotionally connected to important persons | | | | hormones. Data from the first prospective, longitudinal |
| when they are physically absent, leaving the individual | | | | study of BPD, which began in the early 1990s, is |
| with BPD feeling lost and perhaps worthless. Suicide | | | | expected to reveal how treatment affects the course |
| threats and attempts may occur along with anger at | | | | of the illness.It will also pinpoint specific environmental |
| perceived abandonment and disappointments.People | | | | factors and personality traits that predict a more |
| with BPD exhibit other impulsive behaviors, such as | | | | favorable outcome. The Institute is also collaborating |
| excessive spending, binge eating and risky sex. BPD | | | | with a private foundation to help attract new |
| often occurs together with other psychiatric problems, | | | | researchers to develop a better understanding and |
| particularly bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety | | | | better treatment for BPD.With Much Love,Arthur |
| disorders, substance abuse, and other personality | | | | Buchanan |
| disorders.TreatmentTreatments for BPD have | | | | President/CEO |
| improved in recent years. Group and individual | | | | Out of Darkness & Into the Light |
| psychotherapy are at least partially effective for many | | | | 43 Oakwood Ave. Suite 1012 |
| patients. Within the past 15 years, a new psychosocial | | | | Huron Ohio, 44839 |
| treatment termed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) | | | | 567-219-0994 (cell) |
| was developed specifically to treat BPD, and this | | | | are calling Arthur Buchanan's methods of recovering |
| technique has looked promising in treatment | | | | from mental illness REVOLUTIONARY! (MEDICAL |
| studies.Pharmacological treatments are often | | | | COLLEGE OF MICHIGAN) 'Arthur Buchanan has given |
| prescribed based on specific target symptoms shown | | | | us a revolutionary blue print for recovery in these |
| by the individual patient. Antidepressant drugs and | | | | uncertain times, when Mental Illness at a all time high in |
| mood stabilizers may be helpful for depressed and/or | | | | the United States of America, yet if you follow this |
| labile mood. Antipsychotic drugs may also be used | | | | young mans methods, we assure you of positive |
| when there are distortions in thinking.Recent Research | | | | results and I QUOTE 'If these methods are followed |
| FindingsAlthough the cause of BPD is unknown, both | | | | precisely, their is no way you can't see positive results |
| environmental and genetic factors are thought to play | | | | with whatever illness you have' -Dr. Herbert Palos |
| a role in predisposing patients to BPD symptoms and | | | | Detroit, MichiganListen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike |
| traits. Studies show that many, but not all individuals | | | | Litman Show! |
| with BPD report a history of abuse, neglect, or | | | | |
| separation as young children Forty to 71 percent of | | | | THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN TODAY! |