Hallucinations and Other Psychotic Symptoms in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. Background: Psychotic symptoms in BPD are not uncommon, and they are diverse and phenomenologically similar to those in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Psychotic symptoms, especially hallucinations, are highly prevalent in patients with BPD. Recent studies suggest that hallucinations in BPD are similar to those in patients with psychotic disorders in terms of phenomenology, but their emotional impact seems to be even stronger in patients with BPD.
The separation between the two diagnoses is even more difficult as there is some evidence that 10% of patients initially diagnosed with BPD actually do transition to a psychotic diagnosis (5).
Recent findings: Both auditory hallucinations and delusional ideation (especially paranoid delusions) are relatively common in individuals with BPD.
A person with BPD tends to see things in extremes, and their feelings can change quickly. It's really about emotional dysregulation rather than being psychotic, neurotic or something on the borderline between them.
While 2014 research indicates that people with borderline personality disorder often experience co-occurring psychiatric conditions, the exact rate of schizophrenia and BPD comorbidity specifically isn't clear just yet. A 2010 study found that 17.6% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia also met the criteria for BPD.
The patients in the current study experienced psychotic symptoms lasting between three weeks and four months. They were characterized by hysterical features, visual disturbances, and a possible history of sexual trauma. The diagnostic and therapeutic implications of these prolonged psychotic episodes is discussed.
In particular, there is evidence that BPD is commonly misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder, Type 2. One study showed that 40% of people who met criteria for BPD but not for bipolar disorder were nevertheless misdiagnosed with Bipolar Type 2.
One of the most common misdiagnoses for BPD is bipolar disorder. Both conditions have episodes of mood instability.
Paranoia as a Symptom of BPD
Stress-related paranoid ideation is one of nine possible diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder. In one comprehensive study of patients receiving mental health services, 87 percent of participants with BPD reported experiencing the symptoms of paranoid ideation.
BPD is a very different diagnosis than schizophrenia, though the two can co-exist. While BPD is characterized by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships; schizophrenia is characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious, long-lasting and complex mental health problem. People with BPD have difficulty regulating or handling their emotions or controlling their impulses.
It is now clear that DSM-IV-defined BPD is a heterogeneous construct that includes patients on the mood disorder spectrum and the impulsivity spectrum (Siever and Davis, 1991), in contrast to the original speculation that these patients might be near neighbors of patients with schizophrenia or other psychoses.
Antipsychotics are widely used in BPD, as they are believed to be effective in improving impulsivity, aggression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms [Nose et al.
One of BPD criteria is transient stress-related paranoid thoughts. In addition, the clinical picture includes cognitive-perceptual symptoms such as suspiciousness, ideations of reference, paranoid thoughts, delusions, derealization, depersonalization, and hallucination-like symptoms.
The Social Security Administration placed borderline personality disorder as one of the mental health disorders on its disabilities list. However, you'll have to meet specific criteria for an official disability finding. For example, you must prove that you have the symptoms of the condition.
People with BPD score low on cognitive empathy but high on emotional empathy. This suggests that they do not easily understand other peoples' perspectives, but their own emotions are very sensitive. This is important because it could align BPD with other neurodiverse conditions.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms of this disorder overlap with many other conditions, such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and even eating disorders.
Personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder, are diagnosed based on a: Detailed interview with your doctor or mental health provider. Psychological evaluation that may include completing questionnaires. Medical history and exam.
Some of the most common effects of untreated BPD can include the following: Dysfunctional social relationships. Repeated job losses. Broken marriages.
Myth: BPD Is a Rare Condition
It is estimated that more than 14 million Americans have BPD, extrapolated from a large study performed in 2008. An estimated 11% of psychiatric outpatients, 20% of psychiatric inpatients, and 6% of people visiting their primary health care provider have BPD.
Results: People with Borderline Personality Disorder have a reduced life expectancy of some 20 years, attributable largely to physical health maladies, notably cardiovascular. Risk factors include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and smoking.
Between 50% and 90% of patients with BPD report hearing voices that other people do not hear (Yee et al., 2005; Kingdon et al., 2010). Importantly, such auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a risk factor for suicide plans, attempts, and hospitalization (Miller et al., 1993; Zonnenberg et al., 2016).
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) cannot be cured, and anyone who enters treatment looking for a quick and easy fix is bound to be disappointed. However, with treatment the symptoms of BPD can be effectively managed, monitored, and ultimately reduced in intensity, or entirely eliminated.