Self-Harm and Borderline Personality Disorder

Self-harm and Borderline Personality Disorder

Many people, 65-80% of people with Borderline personality disorder, exhibit self-harming behaviors. Most people with BPD who self-harm are not doing so with suicidal intention so this form of self-harm is referred to as nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). The reason people self-harm varies and research has shown that certain BPD symptoms increase the risk of self-harm, while others decrease the risk of self harm.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health diagnosis that is characterized by emotional lability, chaotic relationships, and unstable sense of identity. To be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder one has to have 5 or the 9 diagnostic criteria present. To learn more about the criteria and the disorder you can read about it here.

What Predicts NSSI in Borderline Individuals?

Research conducted at Temple University and Mississippi State University shows that there are certain borderline characteristics that increase the risk of self-harm. These characteristics are a previous history of suicidal thoughts or behaviors, recurring impulsive behaviors, possessing an unstable or inaccurate sense of self, and having recurring feelings of meaninglessness. It was also found that people who dissociate more often are also at a higher risk of self-harm than those who do not dissociate. In converse, it was found that people whose prominent struggle with BPD is maintaining stable relationships seem to self-harm less frequently than those who have other prominent symptoms of BPD.

How Does a Person with BPD Overcome Self-Harm?

In the early 1990s Marsha Linehan developed Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to help individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder learn to regulate their emotions and their impulsive urges. This type of therapy is the leading treatment for BPD today. It is a skills based training that offers alternative ways of coping with distressing situations and managing their intense emotions. According to research DBT has proven to be effective in not only treating BPD but in reducing the use of self-injury.