Treatment FAQ

people who have gotten treatment for borderline personality disorder does it get better

by Mrs. Molly Lemke IV Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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There’s no magic cure but with the right treatment and support, many people with BPD

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can and do get better and their relationships can become more stable and rewarding. In fact, patients with the most support and stability at home tend to show improvements sooner than those whose relationships are more chaotic and insecure.

Most people improve considerably, but you may always struggle with some symptoms of borderline personality disorder. You may experience times when your symptoms are better or worse. But treatment can improve your ability to function and help you feel better about yourself.Jul 17, 2019

Full Answer

Do people with borderline personality disorder ever get better?

You seem to have a good grasp of your situation, and having lived with someone who has BPD, I can say, from an observer's perspective, that people with BPD can and do get better, become more able to live life as they want and enjoy it. DBT is the gold-standard nowadays for treating BPD.

Is online therapy an option for people with borderline personality disorder?

Online therapy is an option, but so is finding another therapist locally. If your therapist doesn't know how to work with someone who has BPD and is ready to give up, that may mean you should consider finding a more suitable therapist, locally or online. Last, people with BPD often get better as they get older.

How do you deal with someone with borderline personality disorder (BPD)?

Do your best to stay calm, even when the person with BPD is acting out. Avoid getting defensive in the face of accusations and criticisms, no matter how unfair you feel they are. Defending yourself will only make your loved one angrier. Walk away if you need to give yourself time and space to cool down.

What is the best medication for borderline personality disorder?

Antipsychotics, such as Zyprexa (olanzapine) which is known to reduce impulsivity, hostility, and psychotic symptoms of BPD Mood stabilizers, including Topamax (topiramate), Lamictal (lamotrigine), and Depakote (valproate semisodium) which may be useful in treating BPD aggression

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Do BPD patients get better?

Most people with BPD do get better The results: Nearly seven out of every eight patients achieved symptom remission lasting at least four years, and half no longer met the criteria for borderline personality disorder. “People with BPD can get out of the mental health system,” Hoffman said.

What is the success rate for treating borderline personality disorder?

Follow up studies of people with BPD receiving treatment found a borderline personality disorder treatment success rate of about 50% over a 10-year period. BPD takes time to improve, but treatment does work.

Do most people recover from BPD?

Background. Recovery in borderline personality disorder (BPD) has predominantly been viewed in the context of symptom improvement and no longer meeting diagnostic criteria. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated that symptom remission is a common occurrence, with remission rates ranging between 33 and 99% [1].

How long does it take to recover from borderline personality disorder?

The MSAD has found similar results extended out to 16 years using a slightly different definition of remission (no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for a period of 2 years or longer) and found that by 16 years, 99% of patients have at least a 2-year period of remission and 78% have a remission lasting 8 years.

Can you go into remission with borderline personality disorder?

A substantial majority of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience remission of symptoms, and their remission tends to be stable over time compared with other mental disorders—but only half of patients also achieve good social and vocational functioning.

Can BPD symptoms go away?

Most of the time, BPD symptoms gradually decrease with age. Some people's symptoms disappear in their 40s. With the right treatment, many people with BPD learn to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Does BPD get better with age?

Borderline personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age.

How do you heal yourself from borderline personality disorder?

BPD self-managementConfide in someone you trust and ask for help.Identify your self-harm triggers and become aware the urge emerges.Identify effective distractions: ... Find new and healthy coping strategies.Keep a diary for your emotions and coping strategies.Eat, sleep and exercise well.More items...

Can you live a normal life with BPD?

Know that you can live a normal life with BPD. People with BPD often have risk-taking behaviors, such as overspending, drug use, reckless driving, or self-harm due to a lack of inhibition. Although these behaviors can be dangerous, and potentially life-threatening, many people with BPD are high-functioning individuals.

What is the best treatment for BPD?

Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly used in first-line therapy. Antipsychotics, such as Zyprexa (olanzapine) which is known to reduce impulsivity, hostility, and psychotic symptoms of BPD.

What are the best medications for BPD?

Medications can be helpful in treating some of the symptoms of BPD. 5  While drugs are not always needed, some of the more commonly prescribed include: 1 Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly used in first-line therapy 2 Antipsychotics, such as Zyprexa (olanzapine) which is known to reduce impulsivity, hostility, and psychotic symptoms of BPD 3 Mood stabilizers, including Topamax (topiramate), Lamictal (lamotrigine), and Depakote (valproate semisodium) which may be useful in treating BPD aggression 4 Anti-anxiety medications, including Ativan (lorazepam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), and Valium (diazepam)

What is the backbone of BPD?

Psychotherapy. The backbone treatment for BPD is psychotherapy , also known as talk therapy. 4  Among the various approaches: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the foundational structured approach to talk therapy incorporated into all other forms of psychotherapy .

How many co-occurring conditions are there in BPD?

People with BPD will often meet the criteria for other personality disorders as well. The average number of co-occurring conditions in BPD is three . These co-occurring conditions (also known as comorbidities) can make treatment far more complex and result in delayed or missed diagnoses due to overlapping symptoms.

What are the other mental health disorders that are associated with BPD?

According to a report from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 85% of people with BPD will have at least one other mental health disorder, including anxiety disorders, impulse-control disorders, substance abuse or dependence disorders, and mood disorders (like major depressive disorder or MDD). 1 .

How to be a good therapist?

Therapy relies heavily on trust and open interaction. Take the time to interview several therapists, zeroing in on someone with whom you feel safe, comfortable, and supported. Educate yourself. Take the time to learn about your condition and become an advocate in your own care .

Is BPD a hard disease to treat?

In the past, many doctors believed that BPD was untreatable and lumped it together with other hard-to-treat conditions like antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). As scientists have gained greater insights about the disorder, newer treatment approaches have helped many achieve lasting remission from BPD, in some cases without the use of drugs.

What is borderline personality disorder?

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by impulsivity, dysregulation, self-injurious behaviors, and suicidal behaviors. Although borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been studied more than any other personality disorder, the role of extended hospitalization for adults with BPD is a point of contention among mental health clinicians.

What are the results of the BPD study?

The results revealed the following observations: 1 Large-effect-size improvements in depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and functional disability among patients with BPD (Cohen’s d ≥ 1.0) and non-BPD patient reference sample (Cohen’s d ≥.80). 2 Clinical deterioration and adverse events in no more than 1.1% of BPD and non-BPD patients on any outcome, with no difference found across cohorts. 3 No influence of BPD diagnosis on the trajectory of continuous depression severity 4 An association between trait emotion dysregulation and initial depression severity.

Does BPD affect depression?

No influence of BPD diagnosis on the trajectory of continuous depression severity. An association between trait emotion dysregulation and initial depression severity. Surprisingly, rates of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal behavior, which are diagnostic criteria for BPD, were low.

How to help someone with BPD?

To help someone with BPD, first take care of yourself. When a family member or partner has borderline personality disorder, it’s all too easy to get caught up in heroic efforts to please and appease him or her.

What is borderline personality disorder?

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) tend to have major difficulties with relationships, especially with those closest to them. Their wild mood swings, angry outbursts, chronic abandonment fears, and impulsive and irrational behaviors can leave loved ones feeling helpless, abused, and off balance.

What does BPD mean in a relationship?

People in a close relationship with a borderline adult often liken talking with their loved one to arguing with a small child. People with BPD have trouble reading body language or understanding the nonverbal content of a conversation. They may say things that are cruel, unfair, or irrational.

What is the problem with BPD?

The problem for people with BPD is that the disorder distorts both the messages they hear and those they try to express. BPD expert and author, Randi Kreger, likens it to “having ‘aural dyslexia,’ in which they hear words and sentences backwards, inside out, sideways, and devoid of context.”.

What happens when someone has BPD?

This emotional volatility can cause turmoil in their relationships and stress for family members, partners, and friends. Many people in a close relationship with someone who suffers from BPD often know that there’s something wrong with their loved one, but have no idea what it is or if there is even a name for it.

Is it easy to recognize BPD?

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of BPD. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder is not always easy. BPD is rarely diagnosed on its own, but often in conjunction with co-occurring disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, an eating disorder, or substance abuse. Your family member or loved one ...

Can you help someone else?

You can’t help someone else or enjoy sustainable, satisfying relationships when you’re run down and overwhelmed by stress. As in the event of an in-flight emergency, you must “put on your own oxygen mask first.”. Avoid the temptation to isolate.

What is borderline personality disorder?

Borderline personality disorder — sometimes known as emotionally unstable personality disorder — is a personality disorder which affects how you think and feel about yourself and others. People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often have a strong fear of abandonment, struggle to maintain healthy relationships, ...

Why do people with BPD come across as clingy?

Someone with BPD would do anything to stop that from happening, which is why they may come across as being “clingy” or “needy.”. Though it can be difficult to empathize with, remember that it stems from a place of fear, which can be incredibly hard to live with. 2.

Why is BPD so scary?

But it’s also an incredibly stigmatized illness. Due to an abundant of misconceptions around it, many people with the disorder feel scared to speak out about living with it. ...

How long does BPD last?

This person says it exactly right — people with BPD have very intense emotions that can last from a few hours to even a few days, and can change very quickly.

What does it mean when you have BPD?

Even if we seem “overly-sensitive,” remember that it’s not always within our control. 3. ‘Everything is felt more intensely: good, bad, or otherwise.

Can you have more than one personality with BPD?

But this isn’t the case at all. People with BPD don’t have more than one personality. BPD is a personality disorder in which you have difficulties with how you think and feel about yourself and other people, and are having problems in your life as a result of this. That doesn’t mean that dissociative identity disorder should be stigmatized, either, ...

Is BPD exhausting?

Having BPD can be very intense, as though we’re vacillating between extremes. This can be exhausting for both us and for the people around us. But it’s important to remember that everything the person with BPD is thinking is more than appropriate in their mind at that time.

What does it mean to be the go to person for BPD?

But for some individuals with BPD, becoming the “go to” person may also mean that you will become the one most manipulated and controlled.

What is the language used to describe someone with BPD?

The language used to describe individuals with BPD can come across to sufferers as cold, detached, and uncaring. But the language is often reflective of individuals who have been hurt, manipulated, or controlled by someone with BPD.

Does normalizing sexual promiscuity make things worse?

Normalize sexual promiscuity or risky behaviors: Normalization of risky or inappropriate behaviors will only make things worse. Some individuals with BPD tend to push limits, engage in risky behaviors, or seek stimulation in ways that are unhealthy.

Is it difficult to understand BPD?

For those unofficially diagnosed with BPD, intelligence, success, and independence can make it difficult for others to understand how individuals with BPD can go from mature and stable to unreasonable and self-injurious . This is frightening for those who lack knowledge about BPD.

Can you snap out of BPD?

Believe they are capable of “snapping out of it”: Individuals diagnosed with BPD are not able to just “snap out of it.”. They are being influenced by a variety of genetic, environmental, and social components that are also altered or influenced by personality, thought patterns, and/or learned behavior.

Does Psych Central review?

Psych Central does not review the content that appears in our blog network (blogs.psychcentral.com) prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the author alone, and do not reflect the views of the editorial staff or management of Psych Central. Published on PsychCentral.com.

Can BPD be a pattern of behavior?

Most individuals with BPD have an intolerance of aloneness, loneliness, or being alone. This can result in unhealthy patterns of behaviors. You want to be careful with reinforcing these fears by how you respond. You can comfort the person or reassure them without enabling.

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Treatment Goals

Remission Rates

  • A 2015 study reported that most people with BPD will no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for the condition by the time they reach adulthood. By all accounts, most people tend to eventually outgrow their symptoms and achieve remission as part of the natural course of the disease.3 A study published in 2012 followed 290 patients with BPD every two years for 16 years. What they …
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Treatment Approaches

  • The treatment of BPDcan vary based on the severity of symptoms and/or any co-occurring disorders. The tools for treatment typically include psychotherapy and medications.
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Co-Occurring Conditions

  • According to a report from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 85% of people with BPD will have at least one other mental health disorder, including anxiety disorders, impulse-control disorders, substance abuse or dependence disorders, and mood disorders (like major depressive disorder or MDD).1 People with BPD will often meet the criteria for other personality disorder…
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Coping

  • If you think that you have BPD or have been diagnosed with the condition, there are steps you can take to better cope as you explore treatment options.6 1. Do not panic. Remember that your chances of remission are good. As with all mental health disorders, early diagnosis and treatment will almost invariably afford better results than a delayed di...
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