Abnormal Psychology: Borderline Personality Disorder

Abnormal Psychology: Borderline Personality Disorder
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Abnormal Psychology: Borderline Personality Disorder
Introduction
Personality disorders have been conceived as severe and often chronic impairments that critically affect an individual’s personality functioning in a wide array of circumstances. Their prevalence rates are considerably high considering that approximately 10% of the world’s population suffers from PD (Bertsch & Herpertz, 2018). The significance of PDs has risen exponentially over the past half a decade that it is widely considered an equal partner to mental disorders (Tyrer et al., 2010). Bertsch and Herpertz (2018) continue to assert that it is quite a predominant treatment cause with a 30 percentage among psychiatric patients and 24% in primary care. Borderline personality disorders (BPD) in particular, prevail among patients from as young as 11 years (Guiel, Boissel, Alaux-Catnin, & de La Riviere, 2018). This is the stage that a child will be gearing to enter the adolescent phase. Adolescents will be deemed to have BPD when for a duration of one year, they elicit a pattern of immature personality development in precise domains. The prevailing discussion centers on Disco Di who has BPD and the possible risk factors that have guaranteed that this situation escalates to this level. In the end, the discussion highlights the need for psychoanalysis treatment on Di’s situation.
Diagnostic Features/ Differential Diagnosis
As mentioned earlier, the preponderance of BPD in an individual is underlined by the presence of particular domains which include self-mutilating behaviors, impulsivity, identity disturbance, unstable personal relationships, and efforts to avoid abandonment (Guile et al., 2018). Even so, in adolescents, these signs are more evident as they result in visible disparaging behavior. The primary diagnostic criterion is the duration of the symptoms which is usually one year. Furthermore, any clinical assessment has to be based on the interpersonal context and developmental milestones.
According to a Canadian study, the highest prevalence age of adolescents with this disorder lie between 14 and 17 years (Cailhol et al., 2017). It serves to strengthen the case that Disco Di has been suffering from this disorder since she started becoming rebellious at the age of 12 and went to the extreme at 17 when she was abusing drugs and accepting sex advances easily. Considering that before the age of 12 she was a cheerful and outgoing girl, Diana’s abrupt change in her behavior is quite worrying and demanded immediate attention. Her relationships with men became violent characterized by unmerited and unbearable longing. Moreover, her self-respect went on a downward spiral as she would leave with any man from the discos. These are actions beyond comprehension and more so, from a child of 17 years.
Psychodynamic therapy, as the mode of treatment initiated on Diana, goes beyond the development of the patient-therapist relationship. It is similar to psychoanalytic therapy in that it seeks to develop the patient’s relationship with their external world. Therefore, a therapist will apply related professional principles in defining and understanding the dynamics and predicaments that Diana is facing to provide effective and efficient solutions (Drisko & Simmons, 2012). In essence, it focuses on the self and the central aspects that a person might be oblivious about themselves.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Besides BPD, Diana could also be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. PSTD is a mental disorder that merits attention even when it is less severe. The disorder is often misunderstood by the people near the patient to the extent that it may remain underdiagnosed and consequently, untreated. The disorder could be described as a pathological and pervasive state of a human being’s mood. Such an individual perceives everything via a dark prism including their self, the world and the future (Lewis et al., 2019). In essence, the person rarely values life and has a frequent feeling of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness. Such is Disco Di’s life.
PSTD is an effect of several factors in an individual’s life, but the primary one is an encounter with a stressful life event (Bisson, Cosgrove, Lewis, & Roberts, 2015). In this case, the loss that Disco Di suffered through the death of her younger sister could have been the trigger of every misery in her present life. She was 11 years old when this happened and according to the diagnosis, it was not until she turned 12 that she had an abrupt change in her behavior. Her past experiences could have overwhelmed her as sister was her only solace and besides, she truly confided in her. The void she left had to be filled and unfortunately, negative thoughts, bursts of anger, and other adverse life experiences became a norm in her life. Still, the psychiatrist bears the duty to intervene and ensure that Disco Di’s internal and external life are at sync from a positive viewpoint.
Culture and Gender Factors
Culture
Socio-cultural factors have been poised as significant determinants of BPD. The existence of minimal literature to fathom a strong argument implies that it remains to be a contentious issue. However, academicians as well as researchers can rely on an investigative study conducted to ascertain the role of culture in the development of BPD. The study conducted in India sough to compare the cultural viewpoint with that of the Western people. Results indicate that the Eastern culture is more open to the challenges an individual is facing than their Western counterparts. Moreover, their conservative nature guarantees that the family institution is given much more importance than the West. ...