Healing Borderline
19 Dec 2023
Healing Borderline: Understanding The complexity BPD, Trauma, and Depression
Emotional regulation is impacted by borderline personality disorder (BPD). A person's self-perception and self-esteem may be negatively impacted by a lack of self-control, which can withal cause impulsivity and interpersonal connection quandaries. A person may experience volatile feelings about themselves and their connections with others, as well as frequent mood swings and sharp shifts in viewpoint. People with rigorous life events, such as abuse and abandonment, are more liable to suffer from BPD.
What is Borderline Personality Disorder?
The emotions of a person with BPD might fluctuate suddenly and dramatically, seemingly to those around them. They might additionally
- see things from an exaggerated perspective
- swiftly shift beliefs or values; struggle with impulse control; engage in impulsive activities such careless driving, risky sexual activity, and shopping binges.
- People who dread abandonment will do whatever to stop actual or perceived desertion.
- feel excessively angry and inappropriately suicidal thoughts and actions
- possess a persistent feeling of emptiness
- undergo dissociation
What is PTSD, or complex post-traumatic stress disorder?
Among the signs and symptoms of CPTSD are the following three categories of PTSD symptoms:
- Recurring memories, flashbacks, nightmares, and emotional or bodily reactions to reminders of the traumatic incident are examples of intrusive thoughts.
- Avoidance behaviors: People tend to stay away from circumstances or locations that make them think of a terrible experience. They can also refrain from discussing anything that has to do with the experience.
- heightened arousal Arousal symptoms include disturbed sleep, impatience, elevated anger or anxiety, and trouble focusing.
The initial traumatic incident is the primary cause of the symptoms, which are frequently severe and frequent. Additional symptoms of CPTSD include:
- The incapacity to control the length and intensity of unpleasant feelings is known as emotional dysregulation. Dissociation and disconnection from others around you may also be part of this.
- Negative self-view: CPTSD is more frequently associated with shame or guilt than PTSD. If you have CPTSD, you can believe that you are flawed or that the horrific events were your fault. These can lead to suicidal thoughts or even depression for that matter.
- Relationship difficulties in personal life: Those who suffer from CPTSD often find it difficult to trust others because they believe that they will always be harmed.
- Loss of belief system: A shift in one's religious or worldview beliefs
Common mental health conditions like depression are marked by enduring melancholy and pessimism as well as a loss of interest or delectation in once-relished activities. It has a major negative impact on everyday functioning and quality of life and can present in a variety of ways, from mild to rigorous. Depression can include lassitude, difficulties concentrating, disruptions in slumber and aliment, as well as suicidal or self-harming cerebrations.
How are BPD and CPTSD related?
Their causes are among the most obvious distinctions between them.While trauma can induce either, only prolonged and repetitive trauma can result in CPTSD. In contrast, CPTSD can only be brought on by environmental circumstances, whereas BPD can be brought on by trauma or heredity.
Signs and symptoms
Along with notable variations in the underlying causes of their symptoms, there are also notable variations in the presentation of each of their common symptoms.
Both BPD and CPTSD sufferers struggle to keep up relationships with others, but because of their intense mistrust of other people, CPTSD sufferers often want to avoid getting into close relationships. Though they struggle to maintain such relationships, people with BPD may actively seek out close interactions with others.
Identity of oneself
The way that BPD and CPTSD view self-identity is another consequential distinction between them. An essential characteristic of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the inability to accept and understand oneself, which is the cause of many of the disorder's emotional quandaries and outbursts.
The sense of self that characterizes people with CPTSD is typically far more stable, with emotional quandaries exhibiting up as feelings of censurability, shame, or low self-worth.
Control of emotions
Lastly, a key distinction between BPD and CPTSD is how each disorder tries to control its emotions. Emotional regulation is a common challenge for those who have either illness. But those who suffer from CPTSD frequently overcontrol their feelings. This indicates that individuals frequently retreat or disassociate in an attempt to numb their feelings. However, people with BPD frequently have poor emotional regulation, which can lead to outbursts of rage or even self-harm.
How are they treated differently ?
If you seek treatment for either BPD or CPTSD, the most successful methods will seem similar but work in different ways. Both diseases are treated with medication and psychotherapy, with the former being the more crucial.
However, since consistently addressing trauma can be very overwhelming, psychotherapy for those with CPTSD is likely to be more individualized and will likely focus on whatever specific issues that person would like to address. Psychotherapy for those with BPD, on the other hand, will largely focus on behavioral and social skills. For BPD patients, pharmacotherapy may involve treating anxiety, depression, and furious outbursts; for CPTSD patients, however, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically administered first.
Therefore, Despite being separate diagnostic entities, depression, CPTSD, and BPD frequently overlap and have intricate interactions with one another. Trauma is a common history for those with BPD, and this can exacerbate the development of CPTSD. The enduring and widespread characteristics of CPTSD symptoms, like emotional dysregulation and distorted self-perception, might worsen pre-existing BPD symptoms and raise the possibility of co-occurring depression.
Similar to this, people who are depressed may also have experienced trauma or unfavorable events as children, which puts them at risk of developing BPD or CPTSD symptoms. When depression coexists with BPD or CPTSD, it can exacerbate emotional instability, heighten thoughts of suicide, and make treatment outcomes more challenging. Furthermore, the chronic anguish and interpersonal challenges linked to BPD and CPTSD may cause depressive episodes in those who suffer from these disorders.
How can Samarpan help?
Samarpan uses modalities like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma-focused Therapy in particular to help clients address underlying trauma, regulate emotions, and establish healthy coping skills because of the intricate interactions that exist between BPD, CPTSD, and depression. Prescription medication may also be used to treat co-occurring disorders like anxiety or mood instability or to lessen the symptoms of depression. Our approach also includes holistic interventions that can enhance clinical treatment and advance general well-being, such as self-care techniques, social support networks, and mindfulness exercises. Developing a therapeutic alliance that is both caring and affirming is essential to helping people with complex mental health needs and giving them the tools they need to go toward recovery. We can assist people in managing the intricacies of their mental health and generating hope for healing and recovery by using a comprehensive approach to treatment that tackles trauma, regulates emotions, and builds resilience.
Samarpan is a leading international standard counselling centre, which is staffed by experienced and qualified professionals from India and overseas. The counselling centre offers One to One Counselling, Intensive Outpatient Programs, Peer Support Groups, Family Support Groups, Psychological Assessments, Psychiatric Assessments and Psychiatric consultations.
Located in Churchgate, Mumbai – Samarpan caters to clients in a modern, confidential and well equipped centre – which is easily accessible. On-Line sessions can also be offered.
For information and how to book an appointment we contactable on Phone or WhatsApp on +91 81809 19090.