10 Things Not to Do for Borderline Personality Disorder

Here are some tips on what not to do for your Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Some of these items are quite harmless and may provide a little relief from pain, depression, or discomfort. However, you won’t find any research that proves that any of the following techniques are comprehensive enough to tackle BPD.

BPD is a serious emotional disorder. It’s important to get appropriate help.

Do not expect quick fixes

We’re sorry if you expected to read articles, do some research, and be cured of your BPD. Effective treatment of BPD takes time. In most cases, treatment takes at least a year and often longer. BPD is a complex disorder that requires consistent hard work. Don’t be fooled by someone who promises a quick fix. You won’t find any ten-day miracle cures for BPD — at least none that actually work.

On the other hand, people with BPD who are ready to look at all their symptoms in an honest way and work hard to get better can enjoy significant improvements fairly rapidly. Not surprisingly, however, breaking old habits and permanently learning new, better ways of living usually takes considerable time.

Do not stay stuck

When people with BPD tell us that they’ve tried everything to get better and nothing has worked, we know they’re stuck. Because so many treatment options have emerged over the years, few, if any, people have really tried them all. Thus, we tell our clients that doing nothing is, in fact, making the decision to stay the same.

We’ve never met anyone with BPD who loves having the disorder. If you have BPD, you can find programs that can help you. If you live in a location where no therapists are trained in treating BPD, consider asking a local therapist to request supervision from someone who has knowledge and experience with the disorder so that you can get the help you need. The bottom line: You can find treatment for your BPD, and you can feel better.

Do not choose chiropractic medicine for BPD

Most chiropractic doctors believe that the spine and overall health are related. People who go to chiropractors report relief from headaches, back pain, neck pain, and other muscular or skeletal pains. Often covered by insurance, this type of health care has gained popularity over time. However, some chiropractic practitioners promise much more than relief from physical pains — some of them promise improvements in mental health. Chiropractic medicine has its place in the care of many health issues; however, no research justifies it as a treatment for BPD. So, feel free to seek this kind of treatment for your body’s physical aches and pains, but don’t expect it to cure your BPD.

Do not make acupuncture a primary BPD treatment

Imbalanced internal energy is the premise behind acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medicine that many trained acupuncturists still practice today. Acupuncture treatment consists of inserting very fine needles into different places in the body to rebalance energy flow. Many people claim that acupuncture helps decrease chronic mental and physical pain. Limited research supports the use of acupuncture for substance abuse, as well.

We advise you not to make acupuncture a primary treatment for BPD because evidence to support acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating BPD just doesn’t exist. However, if you find that it helps reduce pain or stress, or improves your mood, by all means, consider it in addition to your other treatments.

Do not find a life coach for BPD

We like coaches. Coaches can help you stay focused on your goals and cheerlead your efforts. However, BPD is a serious mental disorder. Treatment requires highly skilled professionals trained in specific therapies for treating BPD.

We encourage you to postpone hiring a life coach until you’ve benefited from professional mental health treatment. If you decide you want to have a coach at that time, be sure to talk with your therapist first.

Do not fill up emptiness with food or drink

One of the symptoms of BPD is a strong feeling of inner emptiness. If you suffer from this symptom, you feel like something important is missing. Often, people experiencing this emptiness hope that food or drink will fill the void. Unfortunately, that approach doesn’t work. Furthermore, after eating or drinking too much, people with BPD add guilt and remorse to their plate of negative feelings.

This common feeling of emptiness isn’t a hunger of the body; it’s a hunger of the mind. Working on getting better, improving relationships, and leading a meaningful life will satisfy the hunger — not food or drink.

Do not try too hard

Most people come to therapy with great anticipations and expectations. Just walking through the door for the first time to get help can set off feelings of optimism and hope. Those positive feelings can be quite strong. We wish we had a magic wand that could instantly fix the people who walk into our office, but breaking old habits and learning new ones takes time — not magic.

To get the most out of your therapy, you need to find the balance of learning to accept where you are in the present and where you want to be as you move forward. Trying to go too fast, too hard only bogs down your progression.

Pace yourself. Give yourself the space to work through your issues. Remember that the turtle wins the race through persistence and hard work — be the turtle.

Do not gaze at crystals to cure BPD

Some people believe they can tell the future, solve crimes, and heal people by staring at a crystal ball. Some crystal gazers advertise that they can defeat depression and relieve daily stress. After surfing the web for about an hour, we found out much more than we ever wanted to know about the powers of crystal balls. Apparently, different crystals have different powers. One website suggested putting a particular crystal in a glass of water overnight and then drinking the water the next day as a tonic.

Well, if you want to look at shiny rocks, go ahead. But please don’t hope to cure BPD with crystals. You just won’t find any evidence that proves crystal gazing can cure the disorder.

Do not get the wrong BPD therapy

Psychotherapy for BPD is very important. However, some psychotherapy approaches don’t appear to be effective or haven’t yet been well researched for treating BPD. We recommend that you choose a therapist who conducts evidence-based treatments specifically targeting BPD.

Now, we’re not saying that some of these other treatments don’t have benefits, but we are saying that we don’t have enough information to say that they do. Would you buy a new type of furnace to heat your home if it has never been tested in the lab? Or a car that has never been tested on the road? The same idea holds true for therapy.

Ask potential therapists how they treat BPD and what therapy they use. If they can’t answer these questions, find someone else.

Do not hope medications will cure BPD

Researchers are constantly developing new medications. In the future, scientists may find a medication that substantially helps or possibly even cures BPD. But at this time, no such medication exists. People with BPD sometimes benefit from medication for specific symptoms, but you should use medication only in conjunction with psychotherapy.