Trauma and Borderline PD

People with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) unfortunately have a bad reputation when research shows that experiencing trauma in childhood is a trigger for the development of this disorder.

And as such, they are not to blame for how their thinking is distorted and how they expect relationships to unfold or how their cognitive and emotional response systems are easily overloaded.

As BPD is the result of a genetic vulnerability and exposure to childhood trauma, this suggests that there is hope for improvement and change for those who suffer from this disorder.

If we understand why they behave the way that they do and that it is rooted in trauma we can have more compassion for them. And if we teach them this information, they can develop more compassion for themselves.

The gold standard of treatment for BPD is Dialectical Behavior Therapy developed by Marsha Linehan. In addition, EMDR therapy has been found helpful to address the traumas that form the basis of many of the dysfunctional behaviors and beliefs that these individuals have.