Borderline Personality Disorder and Interpersonal Relationships

The history of Borderline Personality Disorder is a relatively short, but controversial one. It didn’t appear in the ‘bible of psychiatry’, the DSM, until 1980. The use of the word borderline was perhaps the most controversial. It was first used but Adolf Stern in 1938 to describe a group of patients who didn’t fit into the two categories then defined – neurotic or psychotic. They were later considered to walk a thin line between the ‘normal’ world and that of a schizophrenic. Throughout the years, doctors studying this condition all noted sufferers were able to tolerate little stress, emulated the behavior of others, and seemed to live chaotic lives. As the understanding of the disorder has progressed, BPD has come to be best defined as a disorder of unstable emotions, low self esteem, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships.

This difficulty with interpersonal relationships often leads to the chaos in the life of those with BPD. Sufferers can jump from unfulfilling relationship to relationship, easily get caught in abusive relationships, or push away the people closest to them. They can easily get caught up in or become the victim of the cycle of violence. Impulsive actions are often a common problem in all parts of life. This is why mindfulness, learning to stay in the moment, is such an important skill for people suffering from BPD to learn. Taken from the Eastern concept of Zen, mindfulness helps people slow down and focus on what is – not what has been or will be.

Since interpersonal relationships are often such a problem for those with BPD, a key part of therapy is teaching these skills. DBT focuses an entire module on these skills and uses acronyms to make them easy to remember. Those with BPD who complete DBT show increased interpersonal skills and less chaotic lives in general.