Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a relatively common mental illness that can cause serious consequences. Early detection is critical for treating this illness. If not addressed appropriately, BPD can lead to difficulties with your employment, relationships and overall sense of well-being. Whether it’s for you or a loved one, combating BPD is not only possible, but also often successful.
Your psychiatrist at the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center is an expert in diagnosing and treating borderline personality disorder. There’s no reason to let BPD interfere with your quality of life and longevity. Preventive strategies and superior treatment are within easy reach from your home or office in Queens, New York.
What Is BPD?
Like other mental illnesses, BPD involves issues with brain function. Some of the more common symptoms of bipolar personality disorder include:
- Having an intense fear of abandonment
- Experiencing excessive mood swings
- Exhibiting strong feelings of anger if you feel someone let you down
- Believing that people and situations are either all good or all bad
- Wanting to hurt yourself
- Considering or attempting suicide
- Being overly impulsive
- Engaging in risky behavior
Just as you must find medical treatment if you suspect you have an unusual skin lesion on your arm, you have to seek professional medical advice when you experience extreme feelings or engage in risky behaviors. Your psychiatrist at the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center is an expert at diagnosing and mitigating your condition. He even helps you prevent the unfortunate consequences of borderline personality disorder.
Lifestyle and Prevention
When you have BPD, lifestyle changes can prevent your condition from getting worse. You must stop harmful behaviors before they worsen and reinforce your gains as you get better. In tandem with medication and talk therapy, your psychiatrist helps you develop a lifestyle that supports your well-being.
Your Medex psychiatrist provides you with some essential techniques and tools to manage your condition and prevent extreme symptoms. Your treatment plan may include therapies that include:
- Directions for a healthy diet that reduces the amount of sugar you consume and consists of more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables
- Plans for regular aerobic exercise
- Details about how sunlight improves your moods
- Suggestions for activities to relax and reduce stress
- Advice for discovering which activities bring you the most pleasure
If you have BPD, the good news is that you can get better. Self-care is important because it emphasizes your self-worth, especially since those with borderline personality disorder tend to be overly self-critical.
Therapy and Medication That Work
Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is an effective treatment to stave off destructive behavior patterns and limit negative thought processes that can harm you. Your Medex psychiatrist relies on regular sessions to help you maintain balance and improve your quality of life.
Commitment to your talk therapy increases your chances of a long and productive life without borderline personality disorder. It’s especially useful for teaching you essential coping skills that include:
- Strategies for building and maintaining healthy relationships based on positive self-esteem
- Mindfulness techniques to stay present in the moment
- Coping mechanisms to deal with stress and difficult situations
- Effective tips for dealing with explosive and shifting emotional reactions
Medication isn’t always involved in treating BPD. But sometimes, your psychiatrist may prescribe antidepressants, mood stabilizers or anti-anxiety medicines to help you with mood swings. Since the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center is a multi-specialty practice, your psychiatrist may refer you to other medical professionals to check for any underlying medical conditions.
Risk Factors and Causes of BPD
Borderline personality disorder usually results from a combination of factors. For example, your upbringing, coupled with a genetic history of the condition, can increase your risk of developing it. Environmental factors may trigger BPD when combined with an imbalance of brain chemicals like serotonin. Other causes include:
- Parental neglect
- Sexual, physical or emotional abuse
- Early exposure to other family members with mental illness or alcoholism and substance abuse
- Unresolved feelings of childhood distress and fear
- Improper brain development in some cases
While your Queens psychiatrist may not be able to pinpoint a clear cause of your psychological distress, treatment options are clear. When life seems overwhelming and your thoughts become especially dark, don’t suffer in silence. Contact the Medex Diagnostic and Treatment Center right away to start feeling better soon.