Attachment Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder - Research Paper Example

Attachment Disorders Border Personality Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental illness characterized with fluctuation in moods, behaviors that are impulsive in nature and serious problems of feeling self-worthy. This disorder appears in childhood and may lead to problems in the relationship of a person seen when the person reaches early adulthood. Symptoms A person who has BPD has severe emotions and behavior that are repeated over a long period, which may disrupt normal life. The most prevalent symptoms include extreme emotions and the fluctuation of moods as well as aggressive behavior (Fossati, Madeddu and Maffei, 1999). The person may display harmful and impulsive behaviors such as substance abuse and binge eating while at the same time experience problems in their relationships. A person suffering from BPD has low self-worth and fears being left alone or abandoned by those around him. Others include the feeling of being empty inside, problems in anger and temper management or the hurting of oneself through burning and cutting. The person may also attempt or threaten to commit suicide or feel paranoid by losing sense of reality. Causes The causes of BPD have not been conclusively proven but it is believed that chemicals in the brain that control moods have a role in the development of this illness. The disorder is quite prominent in families that have experienced it before and those that have faced childhood trauma such as physical abuse, neglect or the death of a parent (Fossati, Madeddu and Maffei, 1999). The risks of developing it are also pronounced when those who have had childhood trauma find it hard to cope with anxiety, stress and depression. In addition, BPD is believed to be caused by a mixture of biological and genetic factors, social factors as well as the psychological factors that affects how a person handles his temperament and personality in relation to the environment (Fonagy and Bateman, 2005). Treatment Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is treated through psychotherapy through Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) which focuses on the teaching of skills to cope and combat the destructive urges (Fonagy and Bateman, 2005). The DBT is also meant to encourage the practicing of mindfulness for instance meditation, relaxation and breathing that is regulated through individual and group work. Psychodynamic psychotherapy and Cognitive behavioral therapy may also be used to treat certain patients with BPD though they are not as effective as DBT (Clarkin et al., 2001). Medications may also be used in the treatment of specific symptoms of BPD such as the use of valporate to minimize impulsivity or food rich in omega-3 fatty acids to treat fluctuations in mood. Whenever a patient with BPD experiences extreme stress or impulsive behavior, it is advisable that he is hospitalized for a short term. It is important that such patients receive the support of friends and family so that they do not isolate themselves and make a quick recovery. The patient should be encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet, have regular exercise and adequate sleep to relieve the symptoms of BPD. Dependent Personality Disorder Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) is a personality disorder that makes a person cling to another person and have serious need to be taken care of or dependent on the other for the accomplishment of tasks. All human beings have been to some extent dependent on others, but in DPD, the dependency is abnormal and may lead to some form of personal distress as well as functional impairment or both (Gude, Hoffart, Hedley and Ro, 2004). The DPD will involve behavior that can be characterized as submissive in nature and clinging to another person. It usually begins at early adulthood whereby the individual downplays himself and at times refers to himself as stupid while at the same time lacking self-confidence. A person who suffers DPD also doubts himself and has great discomfort in being left alone and may be taken advantage of as they are so compliant and trusting of other persons. Symptoms As already stated, a person suffering from DPD has a “clinging behavior” characterized by pervasive fear, which may be shown through a number of symptoms. The individual has trouble in making daily decisions without being advised or reassured by friends while at the same time expects other persons to carry out responsibility for major areas of his life. A person suffering from DPD also has difficulty in expressing disagreement with others as they fear losing support of others and cannot do or initiate projects alone (Gude, Hoffart, Hedley and Ro, 2004). This can be attributed to lack of confidence in their abilities and judgment rather than their will or lack of energy to accomplish the projects. Such a person will go to excessive length to secure the support of others and feel uncomfortable or helpless when left on his own to carry out the tasks or projects. In addition, a person suffering from DPD may urgently seek to build another relationship whenever a close one is terminated. Causes Dependent Personality Disorders are caused by the lack of self-confidence by an individual and the need to derive support from another person in order to accomplish any task or to feel well emotionally. It is important to note that neither is it a manifestation of another mental disorder nor caused by physiological effects or medical conditions. It is just comes about when a person develops excessive and pervasive need to depend on another person through a “clinging behavior”. Theories that point to the cause of DPD subscribe to the fact that it is caused by biological, genetic, psychological, and social factors showing that it is a complex illness brought about by the mix of all these factors (Gude, Hoffart, Hedley and Ro, 2004). Bottom of Form Treatment In the treatment of DPD, the professional should bear in mind that the client has a problem of dependency and may therefore view the therapist as a person to depend on, which may be exhibited by the lack of communication unless the therapist asks the client direct questions (Faith, 2006). The therapist must therefore take advantage of the situation and build rapport with the client as way of encouraging independence and the feeling of acceptance. This underscores the main aim of the treatment intervention, which is to promote self-reliance, self-expression, and autonomy of the client after the counseling (Eskedal and Demetri, 2006). DPD may be treated through psychodynamic therapy aimed at helping the client cope with separation from the individual the person depends on and object losses. After the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist and the client’s problems are known, they can be resolved easily. Time-limited psychodynamic therapy is the most preferred choice of treatment and having a long-term therapy allows greater transference that can be used to promote the growth of a person emotionally (Faith, 2006). Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may also be used to treat DPD in order to increase the self-efficacy and autonomy of a person and reduce his dependency and reliance on others to accomplish tasks or projects (Faith, 2006). It is carried out by allowing dependency to form at the initial stages to engage the client while the therapist continuously challenges the client’s beliefs on dependency. The therapist must know what triggers the client to adapt the dependency patterns and help him to learn adaptive ways to handle such situations. Such CBT therapies may involve the training of techniques to help one be assertive, training on relaxation and playing of roles amongst other therapies. Group psychotherapy is also used in the treatment of DPD though it is not advisable for severe cases or for clients who lack pro-social behavior. The group should consist of only those with DPD as they will easily understand and offer each other support for faster relief of the symptoms (Faith, 2006). Medication may also be used together with the therapies especially for those who exhibit anxiety and depression on top of the DPD. References Clarkin, J. F., Foelsch, P. A., Levy, K. N., Hull, J. W., Delaney, J. C., & Kernberg, O. F. (January 01, 2001). The development of a psychodynamic treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder: a preliminary study of behavioral change. Journal of Personality Disorders, 15, 6, 487-95. Eskedal, G. A., & Demetri, J. M. (2006). Etiology and treatment of cluster C personality disorders. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 28, 1‐18. Faith, C. (January 03, 2009). Dependent Personality Disorder: A Review of Etiology and Treatment. Graduate Journal of Counselling Psychology, 1, 2, 1-11. Fonagy, P., & Bateman, A. (January 01, 2005). Progress in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188, 1, 1-3. Fossati, A., Madeddu, F., & Maffei, C. (January 01, 1999). Borderline Personality Disorder and childhood sexual abuse: a meta-analytic study. Journal of Personality Disorders, 13, 3, 268-80. Gude, T., Hoffart, A., Hedley, L., & Ro, O. (January 01, 2004). The dimensionality of dependent personality disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 18, 6, 604-10. Read More