Borderline personality disorder is a disturbance of certain brain functions that causes four types of behavioral disturbances:
- poorly regulated and excessive emotional responses;
- harmful impulsive actions;
- distorted perceptions and impaired reasoning; and
- markedly disturbed relationships.
The
symptoms of borderline personaliy disorder were first described in the medical literature over 3000 years ago. The disorder has gained increasing visibility over the past three decades. The full spectrum of
symptoms of bordelrine personality disorder typically first appears in the teenage years and early twenties. Although some children with significant behavioral disturbances may develop readily diagnosable borderline disorder as they get older, it is very difficult to make the
diagnosis in children.
After its onset, the disorder becomes chronic. Remissions, relapses, and overall significant improvement with treatment is the most common
course of the illness. Borderline disorder appears to be
caused by the interaction of biological, usually genetic, and environmental risk factors, such as poor parental nurturing, and early and sustained emotional, physical or sexual abuse.
Physical disorders, such as migraine headaches, and
other mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, panic and substance abuse disorders, occur much more often in people with borderline disorder than they do in the general population.
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Symptoms of the Disorder >
