Borderline Personality Disorder for Dummies - Charles H Elliott

. .

Résumé :

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Chapter 1: Exploring Borderline Personality Disorder 7

Breaking Down Borderline Personality Disorder 8

Unpredictable relationships 9

Acting without thinking 9

Volatile emotions 10

Confusing thoughts 10

Exploring the Origins of BPD 11

Counting the Costs of BPD 12

Health costs 12

Financial and career-related costs 13

The toll on family and friends 14

Treating BPD 15

Psychotherapy 15

Medication 16

Relating to People Who Have BPD 16

Chapter 2: Defining Personality to Understand BPD 19

Characterizing Personality 20

Differentiating Healthy from Unhealthy 20

Openness: Seeking new experiences 22

Flexibility: Rolling with the punches 22

Emotional regulation: Controlling what you express 23

Ability to delay gratification: Controlling impulses 24

Conscientiousness: Responsible and reliable 24

Interpersonal effectiveness: Having good relationships 25

Emotional resiliency: Bouncing back from tough breaks 25

Self-acceptance: Seeing yourself as you really are 26

Accurate perception of reality: Seeing the world as it is 26

Moderation: Avoiding extremes 27

Chapter 3: Describing BPD 29

The Nine Symptoms of BPD 30

1 Sensation seeking (impulsivity) 30

2 Self-harm 31

3 Roller coaster emotions 31

4 Explosiveness 31

5 Worries about abandonment 32

6 Unclear and unstable self-concept 32

7 Emptiness 32

8 Up-and-down relationships 32

9 Dissociation: Feeling out of touch with reality 33

Diagnosing BPD: Like Ordering from a Chinese Menu 33

High or Low Functioning 38

BPD Over the Life Span 38

Other Personality Disorders 39

The odd and eccentric 40

The dramatic and erratic 43

The anxious and fearful 46

Emotional Disorders That Accompany BPD 50

Anxiety 51

Trauma and stressor-related disorders 52

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders 53

Depressive disorders 54

Bipolar and related disorders 54

Other emotional disorders 56

Chapter 4: Exploring the Root Causes of BPD 59

Beginning with Biology 60

Genetics 60

Brain chemistry and functioning 61

Psychological Factors 62

Problematic parenting 63

Abuse and trauma 66

Separation and loss 67

Disorganized and disrupted families 67

Social and Cultural Influences 68

The neighborhood 69

Friends and peers 70

The teen years 70

Social media 70

Cultural factors 71

Mixing and Matching Risk Factors 74

Biological and psychological factors 75

Biological and social influences 76

Psychological and social causes 76

A full biopsychosocial mix 77

Part 2: The Major BPD Symptoms?79

Chapter 5: Sensation Seeking and Self-Harm: The Impulsivity of BPD 81

Living Dangerously: Impulsive Behavior 82

Hurting for Help 84

Types of self-harming acts 84

Why hurt yourself? 85

Suicide: Seeking the Ultimate Escape 88

A cry for help or an attempt at revenge? 89

Who's at risk? 89

Chapter 6: Explosive Feelings and Moods 91

Emotions 101 91

Primitive emotions 93

Thoughtful emotions 95

Emotions - Borderline Style 95

Struggling to recognize and express emotions 97

Having emotions about emo...

Biographie:
..

Sommaire:

Charles H. Elliott, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus, Fielding Graduate University.

Laura L. Smith, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Past-President, New Mexico Psychological Association.
Both authors have extensive experience in the treatment of emotional disorders.