If someone asks what causes BPD and its corresponding symptoms, it is first crucial to understand exactly what it is. Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is a mental health condition consisting of difficulty with regulating emotions, stress response, and relating to others. 

It could also mean that someone who struggles with BDP can have extremely low self-esteem and trouble maintaining a regular sense of themselves. Feelings of anxiety, anger, and depression can be extreme during an episode, and these feelings can last ranging from a few hours to a prolonged period of a few days. Proper care for this is essential to managing the symptoms and finding healing.

Examples of BPD

What causes BPD can be wide-ranging. Different examples of BPD can include things like childhood trauma, abandonment issues, or rejection. These things can trigger someone with borderline personality disorder to go into those feelings of low self-worth, and depression or anxiety. Abandonment issues can lead someone to feel like they are not good enough.

Especially when the child experiences abandonment in early childhood. Those feelings can stick with someone throughout their life and when a relationship of any kind ends, it can lead to those feelings experienced in early childhood. They can start resurfacing, causing negative responses. However, it doesn’t just have to be early childhood.

Trauma caused by abandonment can occur at any time, leading to BPD and its symptoms. When a person exits a life, whether by choice or not, it can cause an empty feeling, and sometimes someone may wonder what they did to cause this to happen. What causes BPD is that these feelings can be overwhelming and take over the thoughts and actions, making someone act and think in ways that are not conducive to a healthy life.

What Triggers or Causes BPD?

There are different answers to what causes BPD. It is not one specific thing or another. Some of the main triggers or causes of BPD can include:

• Childhood abuse and trauma: According to NIMH, 70% of people with BPD experienced physical, emotional, or sexual trauma when they were a child. Other traumas contributing to what causes BPD can include family substance abuse, lack of family boundaries, issues with maternal attachment and relationships or loss of a maternal figure. 
• Genetics: Those with a family history of borderline personality disorder can have a higher likelihood of developing BPD themselves. This does mean it is a guarantee and will 100% happen. It just means there are links between genetics and BPD.
• Brain changes: Another answer as to what causes BPD can include changes within the brain. Those with BPD have shown changes in the parts of the brain that control impulses and emotions.

Is it a Mental Condition, Personality, or Mood Disorder?

A borderline personality disorder is a part of “Cluster B” personality disorders. However, it can affect the mental health and mood of the person who suffers with BPD. Borderline personality disorder is chronic and consists of severe fear of abandonment, erratic behavior, and dramatic mood changes. This is what causes BPD to be unpredictable, the triggers can occur without warning and the symptoms can last long-term.

Can Someone Relax, or Self-Manage BPD?

Self-managing BPD symptoms are not recommended. Seeking professional guidance and help is the best route to take in order to properly learn coping skills and methods to manage the symptoms. Here patients can access therapy like cognitive-behavior therapy and other forms of self-awareness. Holistic and trauma therapy are gentle and can bring transformation.

Impact on Relationships

Oftentimes, those with BPD experience unhealthy relationships involving chaos and a lot of conflict between the parties. What causes BPD to impact relationships can include things like the inability to maintain relationships, instability, fear of abandonment, lying, impulsivity, self-harm, and sexual impulsivity. 

How to Deal With a Loved One With BPD

If there is a loved one with BPD, the best thing you can do is encourage them to seek professional help to manage symptoms. Providing the support they will need during this process can be extremely helpful, and lead to success down the road. 

How Therapy Helps

There are different forms of therapy used in the treatment of BPD. The most common kind is psychotherapy or talk therapy. The different forms of psychotherapy that are commonly used include cognitive-behavioral therapy, DBT, and group therapy. CBT is structured and goal-oriented where someone can look at their thoughts and come to an understanding on how they can affect them.

DBT is a specific form of therapy for BPD. It can help someone to accept their reality of life, and learn ways of changing. And group therapy can help by providing a space where others who are experiencing the same symptoms can give their experience with getting through similar things. All these therapies can be beneficial to treating BPD and its symptoms.

Managing and Healing BPD in South Florida

When someone struggles with BPD, it can be a difficult diagnosis for them and those around them. However, having a name for what is going on can help to address its symptoms. This is crucial for living a life of quality, and connection. At the Neuroscience Research Institute, we can help someone on the path to healing and coping with BPD. Our on-staff professionals can help guide someone to healthy coping mechanisms and healthy ways of managing symptoms.

Call us today. Our team is standing by to guide you through the beginning stage of healing.