A Discussion of the Problems Related with Identifying and Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder

A Discussion of the Problems Related With Identifying And
Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder
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Introduction
Numerous personality disorders have been medically identified over the years, some are genetic while others are acquired. Yet, a lot of these disorders remain uncharacterized and can only be classified according to the pattern of abnormal behaviors the patients exhibit. Therefore, in an attempt to develop a definite meaning to what a Personality Disorder is, the American Psychology Association (APA, 2000), using the DSM-IV-TR classification system, describes Personality Disorder as an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of an individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment (APA, 2000). The DSM-IV-TR system used by the APA classifies personality disorders into 11 categories, among them, Borderline Personality Disorders.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is to date one of the most controversial conditions ever diagnosed in psychology. Since being introduced in the DSM for the very first time, psychologists and psychiatrists have been trying to give the apparently amorphous concepts behind the occurrence and manifestations of Borderline Personality Disorders a concrete form (APA, 2000). In this quest, they have described Borderline Personality Disorder as a prolonged disturbance in personality of an individual, usually in early adulthood or adolescence, which is characterized by heightened variability of moods and manifest in devaluation and idealization episodes, as well as instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and marked disturbance in the individual’s sense of self (APA, 2000). Some researchers, like Judith Herman (2005), even argue that Borderline Personality Disorder is just a name given Post-Traumatic...