Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder and Addiction in San Antonio

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive, unstable pattern of relationships and self-identity. People with this condition often engage in impulsive and self-destructive behaviors, causing strains in their relationships. They also experience intense mood swings, causing them to feel irritable or angry one minute and elated or euphoric the next.

According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), up to 2.7% of the population struggles with borderline personality disorder.[1]

Because the symptoms of borderline personality disorder can be challenging to cope with, many people with this condition begin self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. The symptoms of impulsivity that they deal with make them more likely to engage in severe substance abuse and develop intense addictions.

When you have BPD and addiction at the same time, you need to attend a dual diagnosis rehab center. These programs combine mental health treatment with addiction care. You’ll receive a variety of evidence-based treatments that help you recover from your co-occurring BPD and addiction.

In this article, you will learn:

What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?

Borderline personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by significant instability in relationships, emotions, and self-image. People with this condition struggle with emotional regulation, which causes them to have strained relationships and intense mood swings. Impulsivity is also common among those with BPD.

BPD belongs to Cluster B of personality disorders. This group contains related personality disorders, such as:

• Antisocial personality disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Histrionic personality disorder
• Narcissistic personality disorder

Every Cluster B personality disorder is characterized by dramatic, erratic, and emotional behaviors that lead to difficulties in social functioning and relationships.[2]

Common Symptoms of BPD

If you are worried that you have borderline personality disorder, it can be helpful to be aware of the symptoms. You could bring your concerns to a mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, who will be able to evaluate you to determine if you fit the diagnostic criteria.

The common symptoms of borderline personality disorder include:[3]

• Taking extreme efforts to avoid real or perceived abandonment, like diving headfirst into relationships or ending them abruptly
• Having a pattern of intense and unstable relationships with family, friends, and loved ones
• Experiencing a distorted and unstable sense of self or self-image
• Impulsive, dangerous, and self-destructive behaviors, like spending sprees, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, and more
• Self-harming behavior, like cutting or burning oneself
• Recurring thoughts of suicide or making threats to hurt oneself
• Intense and highly variable moods that last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days
• Chronic feelings of emptiness
• Trouble controlling anger and experiencing inappropriate bouts of anger
• Experiencing dissociation
• “Splitting,” which is a term used to describe going from loving someone to hating them in a matter of seconds (usually occurs when they believe they are about to be abandoned)

Having borderline personality disorder can feel extremely isolating. Because individuals with BPD struggle to maintain interpersonal relationships, they might feel empty and alone. This is why it is so important for people with this mental health condition to develop coping skills and partake in interpersonal skills training.

Because BPD can lead to impulsive substance abuse, many people with this condition develop a co-occurring substance use disorder. If you have BPD and addiction, you need to receive dual diagnosis care that addresses both conditions. Treatment should involve medical detox, weekly individual therapy sessions, group counseling, relapse prevention planning, and more.

Alamo Behavioral Health accepts many major insurance plans, including:

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The Relationship Between BPD and Addiction

Borderline personality disorder is a mental health condition that often co-occurs with substance use disorder. BPD patients might engage in substance abuse for a couple of reasons. First, they experience intense negative emotions, which might lead to abusing drugs and alcohol to self-medicate.

Another reason that BPD patients begin experiencing substance abuse is due to symptoms of impulsivity. They are likely to engage in behaviors that provide them with instant gratification without considering the long-term risks. As a result, heavy substance abuse is common.

Lastly, people with borderline personality disorder often engage in self-harm and suicidal behaviors. Some of them might use substance abuse as a form of self-harm or with the intent of committing suicide.

According to a study on borderline personality disorder and addiction, “About 78% of adults with BPD also develop a substance-related disorder or addiction at some time in their lives. “[4]

How Does Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder and Addiction in San Antonio Work?

Treating borderline personality disorder and co-occurring addiction can be challenging. Patients need to learn emotional regulation skills, interpersonal effectiveness, develop a stronger sense of self, address underlying trauma, and learn healthy coping skills to avoid drug and alcohol abuse. That said, dual diagnosis programs that specialize in BPD are equipped to help patients recover from their mental health and addiction issues at the same time.

During treatment for borderline personality disorder and substance use disorder, clients will engage in the following services:

Medical Detox

The first step in recovery is medical detox. Before clients can begin addressing symptoms of BPD, like self-harm, poor emotional regulation, and other mental health issues, they need to overcome the physical aspects of addiction. During medical detox, clients will be given medications to help ease the symptoms of withdrawal and prevent cravings.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The main method of treatment for borderline personality disorder is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This type of evidence-based therapy helps people with BPD develop emotional regulation skills, learn how to have healthy relationships with others, end self-harm behaviors, address underlying trauma, and improve their overall mental health.

DBT can also be used to address substance use disorder. It teaches distress tolerance, emotional regulation, interpersonal relationship effectiveness, and mindfulness. This type of skills training can lessen a person’s likelihood of relapsing by arming them with the coping tools they need to stay sober.

Individuals in recovery from BPD and addiction will partake in individual therapy sessions, group counseling, and family therapy.

Medication

Unlike mood disorders and bipolar disorder, no medication treats borderline personality disorder. That said, some of the symptoms of BPD can be managed using medications off-label. For example, the impulsivity and mood swings caused by borderline personality disorder can be managed with mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.

When the intense emotions are stabilized by medication, it makes daily life easier for patients to cope with. Additionally, they will have an easier time focusing on therapy and recovery, increasing treatment retention. Medication management in dual diagnosis rehab programs is completed by a professional psychiatrist with years of experience.

Relapse Prevention Planning

Lastly, people suffering from substance use and addiction need to learn how to remain sober long-term. This is why dual diagnosis programs include relapse prevention planning in their treatment arsenal. Patients will learn about potential triggers for relapse, how to stop addictive behaviors, and healthy coping mechanisms to use when they experience drug cravings.

A huge part of relapse prevention is aftercare. Dual diagnosis programs in San Antonio offer the following types of aftercare services:

• Continued therapy for their co-occurring disorders
• Medication management for mental illness symptoms
• Access to an alumni support group
• Referrals to outpatient or sober living programs
• Recommendations on local support groups, like 12-step meetings
• Case management services, like life skills training or vocational assistance

During relapse prevention, patients learn important coping strategies and how to stay connected to recovery.

Get Connected to Addiction and BPD Treatment in San Antonio

If you experience chronic feelings of emptiness, have unstable relationships, deal with intense emotions, and suffer from substance abuse, you might have co-occurring BPD and addiction. At Alamo Behavioral Health, we can help you recover from both of your co-occurring disorders at the same time.

Contact us today for more information on how we can help you recover and improve your daily life.

References:

1. The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Borderline Personality Disorder
2. Science Direct: Cluster B Personality Disorders
3. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Borderline Personality Disorder
4. Deutsches Ärzteblatt: Borderline Personality Disorder and Comorbid Addiction