Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment in Wellesley, MA

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a condition that occurs as a result of an individual’s inability to properly process their emotions. Many of the behaviors exhibited by a person with BPD seem entirely justified and normal to them, and it can be particularly challenging for the individual to return to a stable emotional state after a triggering event.

The board-certified clinicians at Colony Behavioral Health Care frequently treat patients with borderline personality disorder, and is aware of how to assist these individuals in managing their emotions in a healthy and productive way.

Since 1994, Colony Care Behavioral Health has offered comprehensive treatment for borderline personality disorder to patients in Wellesley, MA. Our affiliated clinicians offer both in-person services at our offices in Wellesley, Longmeadow, Weymouth and Arlington, MA, and services via telehealth. If you are currently experiencing symptoms of borderline personality disorder, please contact our offices at (781) 431-1177. and schedule an appointment today!

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Before receiving an official diagnosis, a person with BPD is often referred to as being “dramatic”, “moody”, or “impulsive” due to their extreme reactions to certain stimuli. Left untreated, these responses can lead to significant difficulties in school, work, or personal relationships.

Signs and symptoms that often appear in those with borderline personality disorder include:

• A pattern of unstable relationships
• Wide ranging mood swings lasting from a few hours up to a few days that can have the person feeling incredibly happy one moment and extremely irritated the next
• Intense fear of abandonment
• A distorted or constantly changing self-image
• Impulsive decisions that often place the individual in risky or dangerous situations
• Ongoing feelings of emptiness or boredom
• Uncontrollable anger that is often immediately followed by feelings of shame
• Dissociation from one’s own thoughts or identity
• Stress-related paranoia

Inappropriate reactions, including physical altercations, that are often a result of the person losing their temper.
It is critical for individuals with these symptoms to seek professional assistance right away. It is only with the help from our clinicians at Colony Care Behavioral Health that persons with borderline personality disorder can properly manage their condition in a way that is not self-destructive or potentially violent to themselves or others.

Causes & Risk Factors

There is no exact cause to borderline personality disorder, though there are several known factors that can increase a person’s chances of having the condition. Roughly 75% of all individuals diagnosed with BPD are in fact female, though research suggests that many men with this condition tend to be misdiagnosed with a similar disorder like PTSD or depression, and so it is unclear if BPD is actually influenced by a person’s gender.

Genetics and hereditary predisposition each play a large role in passing on the disorder or a similar mental health condition from one family member to another. For example, if your mother suffered from BPD, then you are at an increased risk of being diagnosed, though there is no guarantee as to whether any person will or will not experience a borderline personality disorder.

In addition to having a family history of borderline personality disorder, individuals are also at an increased risk if they possess particular abnormalities in the brain, or if they experienced a particularly stressful childhood during which they never learned how to properly process their emotions.

Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder

Once a case of BPD has been identified, your clinician will typically begin the treatment process by getting to know more about the patient, their triggers, and any preferences they have about how they would like to proceed in their treatment plan. No two patients are exactly alike, and so your clinician feels it is important to take a unique approach to each case so that they can find solutions that best fit the particular patient and their lifestyle.

Psychotherapy for BPD

Various forms of behavioral therapy have shown to be highly effective in treating individuals with borderline personality disorder. This approach focuses on developing healthy coping mechanisms for the patient so that they are able to respond to any emotional dysregulation in a way that is not harmful or destructive to themselves or others. Psychotherapy has demonstrated long term success in many separate cases of borderline personality disorder, and is often one of the first methods recommended for individuals with this condition.

Medication Management

There are many different types of medication that can be prescribed by a clinician to help patients regulate their emotions. Mood stabilizers and antidepressants are most commonly used, though the particular medication given will depend largely on the individual and their unique symptoms. These medications may be prescribed for daily consumption, or only on an as-needed basis when the patient experiences times of extreme stress.