Borderline Personality - Psychology notes - Abnormal psychology (prior to DSM changes)

A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self image and affects and marked impulsivity beginning etc… Five or more 1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Note: do not include suicidal or self mutilating behaviour covered in criteria 5. 2. A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by attenuating between extremes of idealization and devaluation (nothing in between. 3 *****identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self image or sense of self. 4. impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self damaging (eg. spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) Note: do not include suicidal or self mutilating behaviour in criteria 5. 5. Recurrent suicidal behaviour gestures or threats or self mutilating behaviour (extreme anger, report of not feeling pain when cut themselves. If see lots of cuts - borderline. 6. affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (eg. intense episodic dysphoria [feeling rotten], irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days). Story about big guy chasing a little guy around the sofa and prof says nice tie, and chasing stops. 7. Chronic feelings of emptiness. 8. inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (eg. frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights. 9. transient, stress related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms. Brief psychotic reactions hallucinations - leave bodies. If a person tells him, he is Bratt Pitt, he would believe it. Tell him a negative and he takes it at face value - no buffer. Hard to treat. When Therapist says “what are you doing wrong?”. He stops loving her and he sees it as a threat of self and then angry at her, picks up pillow throws it across the room and leaves. Building rapport is good - when attempts to correct - he leaves. There are cognitive and behavioural approaches. Fatal Attraction with Glen Close - She cannot give it up - all borderline symptoms come through. Next Antisocial Personality Disorder