Robert J. Gregory, MD

Patients with borderline personality disorder can present with multiple crises and minor incidents of self-harm or threats, but determining when the actions are true cause for concern can be a challenge.

Staying empathic and keeping the conflict within the patient instead of between the patient and health care provider, is a key to successful management.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious illness involving multiple symptoms and mal adaptive behaviors. According to DSM-IV, “the essential feature of borderline personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects” (p. 650). This pervasive pattern of instability also applies to behaviors that are impulsive and potentially damaging, including excessive spending, sexual promiscuity, reckless driving, binge eating, and substance misuse.