Borderline Personality Disorder Essay

Etiology

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), as is the case with several psychiatric disorders, is viewed widely as a consequence of the complex interaction of many factors such as psychological, neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and genetic factors.

a) Genetic factors: There is growing evidence that BPD is genetic and can run in some families. A study of people with BPD has shown that the prevalence of BPD among the relatives of people suffering from the condition can be up to 20 times higher than the prevalence among people who don’t have a blood relative suffering from the condition. In Monozygotic twins, the concordance rate was 35% relative to a rate of 7% in dizygotic twins. This research was done by Torgersen and colleagues. This high concordance rate is linked to the role played by genetics in BPD etiology.

b) Neurochemical factors: Serotonin has been linked to impulsivity and aggression. If there is a drop in the levels of serotonin, there is a corresponding increase in impulsive and aggressive behavior. Therefore, professionals have made the suggestion that the impulsive and aggressive behavior often witnessed among people with BPD is usually caused by low serotonin levels in the brain. Also, norepinephrine has been liked to aggression among people with BPD.

c) Neuroanatomical factors: Amygdale hyperactivity has been recorded among BPD patients. Further, a decrease in the functioning of the preorbital and prefrontal cortex in BPD patients has been associated with decrease in personal capacity.

d) Traumatic experiences: People who have been diagnosed with the disorder report instances of adversity and trauma as a consistent feature of…

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…its roots from attachment theory and aims at improving the ability of patients to comprehend the mental state of others as well as their own mental state – the capacity to “mentalize”.

c) Transference-focused psychotherapy: The therapy is informed by a theory that was proposed first by Dr. Otto Kernberg. He theorized that BDP develops in a person because of “identity diffusion.” The idea is that one loses the capability to integrate negative and positive images of others and of themselves. The problems begin in childhood but continue into adulthood thereby creating a lot of internal conflict. The therapy works by helping the patient and the clinician understand past relationship dynamics and the emotions the patient has attached to those relationships that may affect their current state. The therapy’s aim is assisting patients integrate…