Your personality is about the qualities that make you who you are, and they shape how you’re perceived by others. Some people have charismatic personalities, while others are more shy. You could pride yourself on being honest, empathetic or dedicated. While everyone has a personality, there are some people who have a personality disorder, such as borderline personality disorder, which includes emotional, behavioral and thinking patterns that stray from what’s expected.

Personality disorders have a 9.1% prevalence rate among U.S. adults. Borderline personality disorder specifically has a 1.4% rate. Borderline personality disorder is characterized by mood changes, impulsive thinking and an unstable self-image. While it can impact interpersonal relationships and professional success, the right treatments can make a difference.

We’ll talk about effective treatment options for borderline personality disorder. Then we’ll discuss how they can play a role in alleviating your symptoms.

Psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a Cluster B disorder. It’s characterized by dramatic and emotional thought and behavioral patterns, where a person makes impulsive decisions and has intense mood changes. It also includes an overwhelming desire to be accepted by others. By talking with a therapist, you can address these patterns and reduce their impact on your overall quality of life.

If you’re diagnosed with BPD, psychotherapy is the first course of action. The goal of talking to a psychotherapist for BPD is to help you develop control over your cognitive and emotional patterns. 

Psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder will help:

• Increase emotional regulation
• Improve relationships with family, friends and peers
• Strengthen your sense of self and purpose in life
• Decrease the risk of suicide and self-harm
• Address co-occurring disorders, such as anxiety 

Dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been shown to be the most effective treatment option for people with BPD. The overall goal of DBT is to improve your ability to manage your emotions. It can help reduce intense mood changes and destructive, impulsive behavior.

Dialectical behavioral therapy consists of four main components:

• Mindfulness — Mindfulness involves not only being present-focused but also intentionally paying attention to one’s experiences, including thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations and the surrounding environment, with openness and curiosity.
• Distress tolerance — You can learn to manage a crisis without worsening the situation. Distress tolerance helps to reduce impulsive behavior that can stem from stressful situations.
• Interpersonal effectiveness — It’s important to set boundaries. You also have to make sure that your needs are being met. This DBT component focuses on improving your relationships by boosting your self-respect.
• Emotional regulation — Emotional regulation is pivotal in reducing your mood changes and impulsive behavior. You can gain control over how situations impact your emotions. You can also decrease the intensity of your emotions. Self-care is a large aspect of emotional regulation.

Self-care practices for borderline personality disorder

Here are some self-care options that can effectively reduce your BPD symptoms:

• Use a mood diary — Try tracking your mood in a diary. Seeing how it changes from day to day can be very effective for people with BPD. It can help you identify patterns and potential triggers. It also gives you a nonjudgmental space to celebrate your positive emotions.
• Prioritize your physical health — Focus on optimizing your physical health. This could include regulating your sleep pattern and personal hygiene routines. For example, getting eight hours of sleep can help improve your emotional regulation. 
• Take your medication — Not everyone with borderline personality disorder requires medication, but it can be helpful to address particular symptoms, such as irritability. Regularly taking your medication as prescribed is a type of self-care.

Lightfully Behavioral Health treats for borderline personality disorder

Your health care provider can design a treatment plan with input from you. It should be personalized for your particular borderline personality disorder symptoms. But you may need a bit more support beyond weekly psychotherapy sessions and self-care. That’s when it might be time to talk to your provider about treatment.

At Lightfully, we offer effective treatment for people with borderline personality disorder. We provide evidence-based, clearly defined, data-driven and whole-person-centered care. We treat you beyond your borderline personality disorder.

Change is possible. For effective borderline personality disorder treatment, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.