Borderline Personality Disorder is a cluster of 9 presenting symptoms and there are more than 250 combinations of these symptoms.  No two people with BPD will feel exactly the same but some tough common ground will be shared.  Emotional overwhelm, relationship difficulties and chronic struggles with self esteem can make life exhausting for someone with BPD.

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The 9 Symptoms of BPD

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1. Chronic and long standing feelings of emptiness 

2. Unstable relationships 

3. Fear of abandonment 

4. Ongoing shifting sense of self identity 

5. Intense bouts of anger

6. Thoughts and actions relating to self harm and suicide

7. Impulsivity including substance use, spending and risky behaviour 

8. Emotional and behavioural dysregulation 

9. Paranoia and disassociation​

 

Some of the most considerate individuals I have worked with have attracted a diagnosis BPD and a huge theme impacting this population is recognising their own value.  Both Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Schema Therapy help BPD survivors learn to connect with themselves and other people in a way which is respectful and kind.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

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DBT is a skills-based therapy, developed by American psychologist Marsha Linehan. DBT, helps you develop skills to learn to experience your emotions without getting overwhelmed or acting impulsively. Each week you learn a new skill or refine a skill you have already been introduced to and you learn about the patterns of your behaviour, developing an understanding of your triggers.
 
You then are able to anticipate your triggers and use your skills to manage the situations that have traditionally caused you to feel out of control.
 
DBT skills fall into two categories Acceptance Skills, skills to help you learn to accept situations and Change Skills, skills to help you change situations. It also helps you to figure out what might be helpful for you to accept and what might be helpful for you to change as it can sometimes be difficult to work this out if you experience big emotions.
 
DBT is comprised of 4 modules:
 

• Mindfulness

• Distress Tolerance

• Emotional Regulation

• Interpersonal effectiveness

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Schema Therapy
 

Schema Therapy is incredibly sensitive to the needs of BPD clients.  It is holding, validating and it was developed to help people who needed a therapy that allowed them to focus and understand their emotional patterns.

 

A Schema is a life pattern that is made up of beliefs, memories, emotions and physiological sensations.

Common Schemas are:
 

• Abandonment

• Defectiveness and Shame

• Unrelenting Standards

• Self Sacrifice

• Emotional Deprivation

• Social Isolation

 
Through exploring and understanding your origin story, Schema Therapy helps you learn to understand that you are one person who has lived through a multitude of formative moments.  These formative moments have led to you learning unconscious survival strategies that, although were once useful, might be outdated and bring their own unintentional consequences.

 

Schema Therapy helps you to update your old patterns through creative imagery, two-chair exercises, therapeutic letter writing, somatic embodiment techniques, inner child work and cognitive techniques.

If you have a diagnosis of BPD or relate to the symptoms you could benefit from DBT or Schema therapy.

For would like more information, please contact me at admin@geraldineclairetherapy to book in a free initial telephone consultation.  My therapy space is based in Wilmslow, Cheshire.  It's in easy reach of Alderley Edge, Knutsford Macclesfield, Stockport and Prestbury.