If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition like borderline personality disorder (BPD), you’ll collaborate with your health care provider to determine the best treatment options. The goal is to choose treatment that will help manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life. In many cases, that’s a combination of therapy and medication.
If your BPD symptoms are too severe to manage on your own, you may be prescribed medication. However, not every BPD medication is the same. Read on to learn about the ins and outs of commonly prescribed medications for borderline personality disorder. You can use the knowledge to consult with your doctor for the best choice.
3 types of medications often prescribed for borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder can affect how people manage their emotions. It’s a Cluster B personality disorder, meaning that it causes dramatic and emotional behaviors. The symptoms include regularly changing identities, reckless behavior and severe mood changes. BPD can affect every facet of a person’s life, including their productivity and relationships with others. It also affects their sense of self, which is why treatment is essential.
Medication can play a pivotal role in a person’s mental health journey with borderline personality disorder; there are a variety of types that a person may be prescribed. Your doctor can determine which medication is the safest and most effective option for you. They’ll consider the severity of your symptoms and co-occurring conditions. They’ll also look at your medical history and potential side effects of the medication.
While there aren’t any FDA-approved medications specifically for borderline personality disorder at this time, there are several that can be prescribed to alleviate particular symptoms of the disorder. However, there isn’t an option that can help all aspects of the disorder. Medications are often prescribed “off-label” for BPD, which means they are FDA-approved for other conditions but may be clinically beneficial for specific BPD symptoms.
Here are three types of commonly prescribed medications for borderline personality disorder:
- Antidepressants — People with BPD often feel overwhelmingly sad or concerned, and they may be prescribed an antidepressant, such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). SSRIs can decrease symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders that are common in people with BPD, such as depression and anxiety. These medications boost the level of serotonin in the brain, which plays a role in mood regulation to reduce mood changes. However, they don’t tend to help many other symptoms of BPD.
Antidepressants often prescribed to people with BPD include:
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
- Mood stabilizers/anticonvulsants — Since unstable moods are one of the main symptoms of BPD, a doctor may prescribe a mood stabilizer to a person with BPD. These meds also work to decrease impulsive behaviors. Mood stabilizers help to reduce symptoms by regulating the neurotransmitter levels in the brain that affect mood. They’re often prescribed to people who have BPD with co-occurring bipolar disorder.
Mood stabilizers often prescribed to people with BPD include:
- Lithium (Lithobid)
- Carbamazepine (Carbatrol)
- Divalproex sodium (Depakote)
- Antipsychotics — An antipsychotic medication can help people with borderline personality disorder reduce and manage their anger and paranoia as well as their anxiety and depressive symptoms. Antipsychotics work to decrease these negative emotional and thought patterns by blocking some of the dopamine receptors in the brain, which are released when a person feels angry or aggressive.
Antipsychotics often prescribed to people with BPD include:
- Aripiprazole (Abilify)
- Ziprasidone (Geodon)
- Risperidone (Risperdal)
Lightfully can help treat borderline personality disorder beyond medication
While medications like antidepressants and mood stabilizers can help a person with borderline personality disorder, there isn’t a medication that can alleviate all aspects of the disorder. It’s important to explore additional treatment options that can help, such as therapy. Talking to a psychotherapist can help you learn about the deeper roots of your symptoms, triggers that can cause them and tools that can help you manage them in the future.
While medication and therapy can be helpful for BPD, some people need more intensive care, and that’s OK. At Lightfully, we use our Precision Care Model to provide personalized, holistic care that treats you as a whole person, not just your symptoms. You are more than your borderline personality disorder. Our levels of care are:
- Residential Treatment
- Partial Hospitalization Program
- Intensive Outpatient Program
- Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program
Every level of care at Lightfully Behavioral Health is made with the framework of evidence-based, data-driven and whole-person-centered treatment.
Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.
