Border Line Personality Disorder Analysis

Border line personality disorder (BPD) also referred to as emotionally unstable personality disorder or emotional intensity disorder (Blom & Dirk, 2010) Royal College of Psychiatrists state (2013) that research shows personality disorders fall into three groups and the accepted criteria for diagnosis in England is The American Psychiatric Association (APA), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in which BPD (2013, p.659) is categorized under Cluster B category: dramatic, emotional or erratic. The Dsm V describes a pattern of impulsivity and instability of behaviours, interpersonal relationships, and self-image. The pattern is present by early adulthood and .occurs across a variety of situations and contexts (APA, 2015).

BPD is more prevalent among those who are drug and/or alcohol dependent. Within this population, more men are diagnosed with BPD than women. BPD is common in those with an eating disorder and also among people presenting with chronic self-harming behaviour (Nice, 2013). In primary care, the prevalence of BPD ranges from 4 to 6% (Moran et al., 2000; Gross et al., 2002 cited in The British Psychological Society & the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2009) In clinical samples, BPD is usually the most common personality disorder. Women are more frequently diagnosed with BPD as opposed to men, accounting for 75% of cases of BPD (Nehls 1998). However recent studies from Norway, the United States, and Great Britain have challenged the notion of a sex disparity, finding little or no difference in the prevalence of BPD among men and women (Coid et al. 2006; Lenzenweger at al. 2007; Torgersen et al. 2001). Johnson and colleagues (2003) findings that women diagnosed with BPD tend to exhibit the more dramatic aspects of BPD symptoms such as intense and unstable emotionality and self-harm behaviour, while men present more subtle antisocial and impulsive behaviour may offer an explanation as to the differing rates of diagnosis in regards to gender. As men are

If the claim were true, critics contend, the abuse of millions of children over the years should have caused many cases of insanity; but no evidence exists (Piper, 1998). Limitations of this theory include: The fact that the model is based on behaviours that occur during times of separation/stressful situations rather than in non stressful situations (Field,199,p.543); The list of attachment behaviours is limited to those that occur with the primary attachment figure, typically the mother. However, other attachments are not necessarily characterized by those same behaviours" (Field, 1996, p. 544); The last limitations to the attachment model is that the mother is viewed as the primary attachment figure, when in fact, a father or sibling can have the same type of attachment with the infant at the same time. This leads to the last limitation in the attachment model that "attachment is confined to the infancy and early childhood period, ending, as noted by Bowlby, during puberty. It does not consider attachments that occur during adolescence (the first love), during adulthood (spouses and lovers), and during later life (the strong attachments noted between friends in retirement)" (Field, 1996, p. 545). Considering the limitations Field (1996) came up with her own attachment model as described here: “A parsimonious model of