Borderline Personality Disorder

The causes of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) aren’t completely known, though we do know that approximately 75% of people with BPD have a history of childhood abuse.  There may also be a genetic component, but that’s not quite clear yet.  Once upon a time, BPD was considered an intractable diagnosis.

Research over the last several decades, mainly by Dr. Marsha Linehan (founder of Dialectical Behavior Therapy), has shown that BPD is NOT a lifelong sentence but in fact, you can get better.  

DBT has been studied over the last 30 years and has been shown to be incredibly effective at treating BPD. BPD is a learned response, and therefore it can be unlearned and you can “build a life worth living”.  What’s really fantastic about DBT, though, is it can help anyone live better, happier lives. You can “building a life worth LOVING”.  I teach DBT to other therapists and use it in my own life, but that’s a topic for another day.