Borderline Personality Disorder

Treatment of BPD

Patients with BPD can be helped with treatment. Before beginning treatment it is important to get a thorough evaluation to determine the presence of other psychiatric disorders. The presence of depression, eating, anxiety, or substance use disorders needs to be recognized so that they can also be addressed in treatment.

The mainstay of treatment for BPD is psychotherapy. Medication has also been found to be effective in reducing some of the depression, anxiety and irritability of BPD, however medication should be thought of as an adjunct to treatment that helps the individual work in psychotherapy. 

The best studied treatment for BPD is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). The goal of DBT is to increase the overall quality of a person's life. This is achieved through teaching skills and coping strategies focused on improving emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness while ceasing self-destructive behavior.

Back   |   Borderline personality disorder