4 Keys to Recovering From Borderline Personality Disorder

How do individuals with BPD experience treatment interventions and the process of recovery?

Kverme and her team recruited 12 women who met their study inclusion criteria. Participants were women between the ages of 21 and 36 who had been diagnosed with BPD between six and 18 months prior to the study, were currently in treatment, and had not experienced psychosis. The investigators then conducted individual in-depth interviews with the participants about their experiences and analyzed them for themes.

"1. Learning to Hold One’s Own

Being proactive agents of change was crucial for participants in their recovery journeys. Agency meant having the ability to take action and change longstanding patterns and habits. Of particular importance was being seen as a person “who could” by their therapist and, in turn, developing that same confidence in themselves. Participants who felt “they could” reported making in-the-moment choices to better cope with their feelings — and without self-harm.

Participants also had therapists who introduced them to new ideas about being in the world, which inspired hope and change.

2. Needing Honesty and Genuine Mutuality

Participants felt that having a therapist who validated them and viewed them as unique individuals fostered security in the therapeutic alliance. Since many women in the study had long neglected their true selves, working with a therapist who saw them not as a diagnosis but as human beings was transformative. Feeling seen, heard, and understood by their therapist allowed the women to find and connect with themselves in new ways.

3. Daring to Belong

Learning to open up to others and participating in relationships genuinely was hard — but essential for recovery. Of specific note, group therapy played an important role for these women. This treatment setting offered a “sanctuary” where group members shared their thoughts and feelings and felt embraced by their peers who could identify with their experience.

4. Making Room for Recovery

The processes of recovery rested on hope. Moreover, the women who felt they were making strides forward in their journey believed they could take active and deliberate steps to change their lives. They could also take stock of their life trajectory thus far — and how they wanted their future to be different. In addition, recovery involves having self-compassion for making mistakes along the way and having patience with oneself in their struggle to progress."

Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!

Reflection:

What are your thoughts on the article and investigation?

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