Borderline personality disorder is a severe and complex psychiatric condition that, until recently, many considered nearly untreatable. People suffering from this disorder have problems coping with almost everything, therefore anything can provoke them to impulsive actions, angry outbursts, and self-destructive behaviors. Their personal relationships are simultaneously overly dependent and strained, if not openly hostile, and frequently explosive. This book offers an optimistic guide to treating this painful disease, giving newfound hope to those suffering with the disorder and to the family and friends who care for them. Johns Hopkins psychiatrists Francis Mark Mondimore and Patrick Kelly incorporate the latest research and thinking on borderline personality disorder. They explain that symptoms are not strictly related to personality but rather are the result of intertwined and interacting biological and behavioral problems, extremes of temperament, and impaired psychological coping, all of which have a poorly understood relationship to traumatic life events. In conceptualizing the disorder in this original way, Mondimore and Kelly advocate a compassionate and loving approach, bringing hope and healing to people living with borderline personality disorder. A diagnosis of borderline personality disorder is no longer fraught with despair. The prognosis is good. Drs. Mondimore and Kelly explain that crafting an intelligible and effective treatment plan is not only possible but produces positive results. Borderline personality disorder may be a tumultuous disease, but this book gives patients and their loved ones a renewed sense of optimism. With the proper treatment, people with borderline personality disorder can enjoy long remissions and improved quality of life.
Acknowledgments Introduction I. Understanding the Problem 1. The Clinical Picture Features of the Borderline Diagnosis Making the Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder The Borderline Conundrum 2. ""Personality"" and More Understanding ""Personality"" What Is a Personality Disorder? When Does ""Personality"" Become ""Disorder""? Mood Disorders Self-Destructive Behaviors Traumatic Experiences The Bigger Picture II. Causes 3. The Four Faces of Borderline Personality Disorder The Perspectives of Psychiatry 4. What the Person Has: The Disease Perspective Mood Disorders Major Depressive Disorder Dysthymic Disorder Bipolar Disorders Borderline or Bipolar? Picturing Borderline Personality in the Brain Genetics 5. The Dimensions of Borderline Personality Disorder Measuring Personality Traits The Five-Factor Model of Personality Traits and ""States"" The ""Personality"" in Borderline Personality Where Do Personality Traits Come From? Conclusions about Personality and the BorderlineDiagnosis 6. Behaviors I: Addiction and Eating Disorders Alcohol and Drug Addiction Eating Disorders 7. Behaviors II: Self-Harming Behaviors and Dissociation Cutting and Other Forms of Self-Mutilation Why Do Individuals Self-Harm? Suicidal Behavior Dissociation Dissociative ""Disorders"" Dissociation Symptoms in Borderline Personality Disorder 8. The Life Story: Childhood Experiences, Development, Trauma Childhood Experiences and the Borderline Diagnosis Borderline Personality Disorder and PTSD Life Events in Adulthood III. Treatment 9. Treating the Disease What Do Medications Treat in Persons with Borderline Personality Disorder? Antidepressant Medications Mood-Stabilizing Medications Atypical Antipsychotic Medications Antianxiety Medications: Some Words of Caution 10. Treating the Behaviors Stages of Change The Talking Cure: Psychotherapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT: A Closer Look Dialectical Behavioral Therapy 11. Understanding the Dimensions and Addressing the Life Story Psychodynamic Therapies for Borderline Personality Disorder Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Summing Up 12. Treatment Approaches: Putting It All Together 13. Themes and Variations Gender Differences Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescence International and Cross-Cultural Considerations IV. How to Cope, How to Help 14. If You've Been Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis, Diagnosis, Diagnosis Assembling Your Treatment Team Acceptance and Committing to Getting Better The Role of Hospitalization The Costs of Addiction Looking for Happiness in All the Wrong Places 15. For Parents, Partners, Friends, and Co-workers Getting Someone into Treatment Safety Issues Recognizing and Addressing Abusive Behaviors Borderline Personality Disorder in the Workplace Getting Support Epilogue Appendix A: Resources and Further Reading Appendix B: Theory and Development of the BorderlineConcept: A Primer for Students and Therapists References Index
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