Life Events in Borderline Personality Disorder

1993 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 638-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Labonte ◽  
Joel Paris

In order to examine the role of life events in the clinical presentation of borderline personality disorder, the Life Experience Survey was given to three groups of subjects; one consisting of patients suffering from borderline personality disorder and two consisting of control subjects for the purpose of comparison. The results showed that patients suffering from borderline personality disorder did not experience a greater number of life events, but those life events that they did report were related to their psycho-pathology, which were, in turn, associated with the break-ups of important relationships or with effects of impulsive actions.

Until recently, borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been the stepchild of psychiatric disorders. Many researchers even questioned its existence. Clinicians have been reluctant to reveal the diagnosis to patients because of the stigma attached to it. But individuals with BPD suffer terribly and a significant proportion die by suicide and engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. The aim of this primer on BPD is to fill this void and provide clinicians with an accessible, easy-to-use, clinically oriented, evidenced-based guide for early-stage BPD. We present the most up to date data about BPD by leading experts in the field in a format accessible to trainees and professionals working with individuals with BPD and their family members. The volume is comprehensive and covers the etiology of BPD, its clinical presentation and comorbid disorders, genetics and neurobiology of BPD, effective treatment approaches to BPD, the role of advocacy, and the treatment of special subpopulations (e.g., forensic) in the clinical management of BPD.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110006
Author(s):  
Stephanie Fagan ◽  
Suzanne Hodge ◽  
Charlotte Morris

The study explored experiences of compassion in adults with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) to further the development of the construct of compassion in relation to BPD. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to develop themes from the narratives of six adults with a diagnosis of BPD. Five themes emerged: Emotional Connection to Suffering, Empathic Understanding, Prioritisation of Needs, A Model of Genuine Compassion and Developing Acceptance and Worth. Participants described the role of compassion in their difficulties, including the adverse impact of experiences of incompassion upon their sense of self. The themes were integrated into a model that highlighted a process of recovery through therapeutic encounters with others in which genuine compassion was modelled. In addition, barriers to compassion and factors facilitating the development of compassion emerged from the analysis and have implications for clinical practice.


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