Summary: An Interview with Joel Paris, MD. on Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Mental Help Net (www.mentalhelp.net) presents the Wise Counsel Podcast (wisecounsel.mentalhelp.net), hosted by David Van Nuys, Ph.D. BPD involves a chronic pattern of unstable relationships, impulsivity and emotional instability often accompanied by cutting (self-harm behaviors) or suicide attempts. The causes of BPD are not completely understood, but likely involve a complex inter-relationship between inherited biological vulnerability and life circumstance. Dr. Paris' message is one of optimism: Good treatments specifically targeted to BPD now exist that been demonstrated effective with clinical trials. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is one, and Mentalization Therapy is another. These treatments involve talk-therapy with a strong educational componant (designed to help patients learn coping skills), the validation of patients' inner experience, and a push to engage work and social relationships. Drugs are not generally helpful when treating this diagnosis and in some cases can be harmful. Most people who receive these treatments will experience an improvement in their functioning within a year, and across the lifespan, many people with BPD tend to improve with age anyway.
