In certain respects, Pete Davidson is living his dream. Born and raised in New York, Pete is now a cast member in one of the city’s iconic establishments: Saturday Night Live. In other respects, Pete’s life has been a nightmare. When Pete was a child, his father passed away. He was a firefighter who responded to the 9/11 attacks and gave his life to safe others. Pete has spoken freely about his success and his setbacks in life, and when he was recently diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, he did what he has always done. Pete talked about it with honesty, genuineness, and (of course!) humor. He went on Weekend Update, and encouraged audiences, “first of all, if you think you’re depressed, see a doctor and talk to them about medication, and also be healthy. Eating right and exercise can make a huge difference. And finally, if you are in the cast of a late-night comedy show, it might help if they, ya know, do more of your sketches.” Most people probably will not benefit from that last piece of advice, but reaching out for help is very applicable. Borderline Personality Disorder is serious mental illness, but it has treatment. Many people learn how to live their own lives by going to therapy for BPD.
The Borderline Personality Disorder Therapists at Thriveworks Counseling in Cary have guided many people as they battle Borderline Personality Disorder and as they fight for stability in their lives.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Diagnosis
Sylvia Plath described her own struggle with mental health and BPD, saying, “It is as if my life were magically run by two electric currents: joyous positive and despairing negative —whichever is running at the moment dominates my life, floods it.”
The instability that Sylvia described is also chronicled in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders where its official signs and symptoms are outlined. All of BPD’s diagnostics are all marked by instability. Volatility is a defining characteristic, and it shows itself in a variety of ways, such as…
- An acute and profound fear of separation and abandonment.
- An acute and profound feeling of emptiness.
- A quarrelsome personality marked by sarcasm, anger, bitterness, antagonism, and more.
- A history of fractured relationships (both professional and personal). BPD can often lead people to glorify others, and then, when others do not live up to the expectations, they are vilified.
- Quickly and regularly switching values, identities, goals, and perceptions.
- Moving from feeling to feeling: euphoria to anger to joy to anxiety to irritability and more.
- Experiencing times (minutes, hours, or even days) of paranoid wherein one cannot distinguish reality.
- Difficulty receiving any form (even appropriate or constructive) criticism and feedback.
- Suicide ideation, self-harm, attempted suicide, and threats of self-harm or suicide.
- Taking unnecessary and reckless risks that put oneself and others at risk: substance abuse, reckless driving, engaging in unsafe sex, unchecked gambling, and more.
These signs paint a difficult picture of the challenges BPD can place in an individual’s life, but they are not the whole picture. Borderline Personality Disorder can also increase an individual’s risk for other mental health challenges like addiction, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
BPD Development and Risk Factors
The causes of Borderline Personality Disorder are not known, but there are certain factors that can increase its likelihood. Mental health professionals have identified risk factors that can aid the development of BPD, such as…
- A family history of mental health problems, especially BPD.
- Surviving childhood neglect or abuse (emotional, physical, and/or sexual), particularly from the hands of a parent or caregiver.
- A smaller than normal hippocampus size (part of the brain that regulates stress response and emotions).
- During childhood, having a parent or caregiver die or abandon the family.
Mitigating BPD: Borderline Personality Disorder Therapy
“There’s a special therapy developed for people with borderline personality disorder called dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT. It’s very practical, focusing on teaching the patients coping skills to keep in their back pocket, like a neurological cheat sheet to pull out in situations where we want our behavior to be different.”
—Eliza Hecht,
“I Have Borderline Personality Disorder.
Here Are 6 Things I Wish People Understood.”
The harm that BPD may cause in an individual’s life is not a guarantee. Many people have benefitted from Dialectal Behavior Therapy, a treatment that was created specifically for Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT focuses upon teaching people the skills they need to overcome the instability that BPD introduces into their lives, skills such as…
- Mindfulness is a simple concept but a difficult practice. Mindfulness teaches people to pay attention to what they are sensing, feeling, and thinking without judging themselves in anyway.
- Emotional regulation is a skill that allows people to feel their feelings while staying in control of themselves.
- Distress tolerance teaches people how to respond to life’s inevitable setbacks, hardships, and difficulties with resiliency.
- Interpersonal effectiveness focuses upon building healthy relationships in many different contexts—at home, in the office, in the community, at school, and more.
Borderline Personality Disorder Therapy in Cary, NC—Setting Up an Appointment
If you are fighting Borderline Personality Disorder, know that you do not have to fight alone. Thriveworks Counseling in Cary offers Borderline Personality Disorder Therapy. When you contact our office, a real person will answer your call. Your first appointment may be the following day. We also accept many different insurance plans, and weekend and evening sessions are offered. Let’s get started. Call today.
Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Infidelity, Self Esteem, +13 more 
