Borderline personality disorder or BPD is one of ten specific personality disorders. Typically diagnosed in adolescence or the early 20s, individuals with BPD experience extreme instability in their moods and in how they view themselves and the world in general. A core feature of BPD is the inability to maintain healthy, secure, mutually beneficial relationships. Individuals with BPD have an intense need for closeness and attention. However, they also have an intense fear of abandonment or rejection. Through a borderline personality disorder treatment program, individuals can learn the skills they need to form and preserve healthy relationships.
Harmony Hills is a mental health treatment center offering comprehensive individualized treatment for BPD. Here, clients benefit from a range of evidence-based therapies, access to around-the-clock care, and the support of a nurturing community. Learn more about our treatment options by calling 855.494.0357.
Why Does BPD Have an Impact on Relationships?
Individuals with BPD have significant difficulties with relationships, especially with those closest to them, such as parents, siblings, romantic partners, and co-workers. These people are often left feeling confused, helpless, and abused because of the erratic behavior of the person with BPD. Individuals with BPD have an intense and chronic fear of abandonment. Still, they cannot recognize how their mood swings, angry outbursts, and impulsive or irrational behaviors negatively impact their relationships and push people away. Frustration is a shared feeling for the person with BPD and those involved with them.
The intense fear of abandonment and rejection felt by individuals with BPD causes their erratic mood swings and inability to trust others. While caring and doting one minute, they suddenly switch to feeling smothered and overwhelmed. Perceived rejection is met with anger to protect their fragile sense of self. The symptoms of BPD wreak havoc in people’s lives, often resulting in:
- Employment instability
- Marital conflict and divorce
- Self-harm or threats of suicide
- Abusive relationships
- Social problems and isolation
- Self-sabotage
- Legal issues
Individuals with BPD will obsess over every minute detail of a conversation or interaction, trying to find evidence to support their irrational fears. They look to their relationships to answer their emotional and interpersonal needs, leading to conflict and resentment when their expectations are not met. Lying, deception, and manipulation are common in individuals with BPD. Unfortunately, these behaviors are often viewed as character flaws instead of what they genuinely are: symptoms of an illness from someone who does not know how to get their needs met in healthy ways.
The Mental Health Impacts of BPD
Individuals with a borderline personality disorder often suffer for a long time before receiving the proper treatment, partly because they are frequently misdiagnosed and partially because they never reach out for help. Left untreated, BPD has severe consequences for an individual’s overall mental and physical well-being. Following is a look at the possible repercussions of untreated BPD:
- Demoralized sense of self
- Depression
- Drug or alcohol abuse or addiction
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- PTSD
- Other personality disorders
Individuals with BPD struggle to cope with the responsibilities, routines, and stressors of everyday life. Residential treatment for borderline personality disorder provides the best long-term outcomes. Harmony Hills provides a safe, home-like environment where clients receive personalized treatment and consistent access to services. Other benefits of residential treatment for BPD are:
- Supportive structure and routines
- Support in daily living activities
- Fosters a sense of community and belonging
- Allows for complete focus to be on recovery
- Provides stability
- Access to high-quality nutrition and physical fitness
Find Treatment for BPD at Harmony Hills
A borderline personality disorder is a serious mental health disorder that has repercussions across all areas of life. Without a proper diagnosis and subsequent treatment, individuals with BPD will not get better and are at high risk for addiction and suicide. Learning to change lifelong habits takes time. Clients can practice newly acquired skills and receive immediate therapeutic feedback in residential treatment for BPD at Harmony Hills. To learn more about treatment for BPD, call 855.494.0357.
