Borderline Personality Disorder

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Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most challenging mental health conditions, as individuals with this disorder often struggle to cope with overwhelming emotions, a persistent fear of abandonment, and impulsive behaviors that lead to chaos and instability.

People with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) live on the border between being highly rational or highly emotional. They can be charming and seriously intelligent yet suddenly switch to wild emotional outbursts that can frighten and confuse others.

They experience a pattern of instability in personal relationships, poor self-image and impulsivity. This is generally attributed to a history of child abuse or neglect, genetic factors and changes in the brain. It can make them terrified of being abandoned, make repeated suicide attempts, experience intense anger and ongoing feelings of emptiness.

Their impulsiveness involves doing things without thinking, making it hard to function in everyday life. They often engage in impulsive and risky behaviors, such as gambling, dangerous driving, unsafe sex, spending sprees, binge eating, drug misuse, or suddenly quitting a good job or ending a positive relationship.

Mood swings, anger and impulsiveness can often improve with age and psychological treatment. If you think you might have borderline personality disorder, remember that many people with this condition can learn to live stabler, more-fulfilling lives.

If you are thinking about harming yourself, please tell a friend or contact us for help here.

Symptoms

An estimated 6.5% of Australians have at least one personality disorder and are at increased risk of self-harming behaviors and suicide. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) affects how you feel about yourself, your behaviour and how you relate to others.

Symptoms may include:

• A strong fear of abandonment and feelings of emptiness. This includes going to extreme measures, so you're not separated or rejected, even if these fears are irrational.
• A pattern of unstable, intense relationships, such as believing someone is perfect one moment and then doubting them the next. This may include losing your temper often, being sarcastic or bitter, or physically fighting.
• Quick changes in seeing yourself as being good or bad which can lead to thoughts of suicide or self-injury.
• Paranoia and loss of contact with reality that can last for minutes to a few hours.
• 0ngoing wild mood swings that last from a few hours to a few days.

If you have fantasies about hurting yourself, or you have thoughts about suicide, tell a friend or contact us right away.

If you notice symptoms in a family member or friend, talk to that person about how they can get help. If the relationship causes you a lot of stress, you may find it helpful to see a psychologist yourself.

Request an appointment here.

One-on-one counselling

Before your first appointment you will receive a series of psychological tests to identify whether you have Borderline Personality Disorder, its level of severity, and/or whether mental health issues are present. This will guide your psychologist in developing a treatment plan for you. Depending on your results, further testing may be required.

A borderline personality disorder diagnosis is often seen as negative; however, we also identify your positive strengths. Successful treatment requires not only the management of problem behaviours but also the building and enhancing of one’s positive qualities.

One-on-one counselling is conducted by an experienced psychologist, who will review the results of your screening tests and conduct a detailed history of the problematic behaviours; how long problems have been present; and earlier treatment undertaken.

Counselling provides people with a safe place to work through their personal or psychological problems, knowing that everything they say is confidential. It includes a series of 1-hour online or face-to-face individual consultations with an experienced psychologist.

Our team of experienced psychologists are skilled in working on borderline personality disorders (BPD). They use a variety of treatment approaches, which you can read about below.

The Team of Personality Disorder Psychologists

Group Therapy

Group therapy is an alternative effective treatment for personality disorders and significantly reduces the cost of individual sessions. It gives you valuable access to experienced psychologists at a reduced cost compared to individual sessions.

Our Borderline Personality Group (BPD) can be very rewarding and helps you understand your symptoms, improve your interpersonal skills and better manage strong emotions.

People often feel alone and the only ones struggling with BPD. It can be a huge relief to hear others discuss what you are going through. Regularly talking and listening to others also helps you feel heard and understood and puts your own problems in perspective.

Groups provide a safe place to practice new behavioural strategies and gain extra support from fellow participants. Seeing other people tackle problems and make positive changes, can help you face your own concerns outside the therapy room.

You can join a group on completion of one-on-one counselling or as a stand-alone treatment. The BDP group can be held online or face-to-face.

You can register your interest below -

For more information about our therapy groups or on any of the above, please contact our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

Medication

While there is no medication specifically for the treatment of borderline personality disorder, many people with this disorder also have mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety or psychosis, and may be prescribed medication for these.

Our psychologists can provide your GP with a report on your symptoms and any other mental health issues that may be present. You can then discuss this with your GP, so they are fully informed when considering prescribing medication. Many physical health issues originate in mental health issues.

Please note psychologists are not able to prescribe psychiatric medication and if you decide you need medication, you will need to speak to your GP.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from BPD, please call our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

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What tests do we use?

Before your first appointment you will receive a series of psychological tests to identify whether you have Borderline Personality Disorder and/or another mental health issue.

Further testing may be required depending on the complexity of your situation. Here are some of the tests we use to achieve the best treatment outcome for you.

For the best results, you need to complete these well before your session starts.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from BPD, please call our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

What are the nine Personality Disorders?

The most common disorders are obsessive–compulsive (OCD), avoidant, schizoid and borderline personality disorders (BPD) with dependent and schizotypal personality disorders the least prevalent. They also seem to be also more common in men than women and usually show up in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Without treatment, they can be long-lasting.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) lists 10 types of personality disorders, although most people who meet criteria for one type also meet criteria for one or more other types.

Antisocial personality disorder: A pattern of disregarding or violating the rights of others. A person with antisocial personality disorder may not conform to social norms, may repeatedly lie or deceive others, or may act impulsively.

Avoidant personality disorder: A pattern of extreme shyness, feelings of inadequacy, and extreme sensitivity to criticism. People with avoidant personality disorder may be unwilling to get involved with people unless they are certain of being liked, be preoccupied with being criticized or rejected, or may view themselves as not being good enough or socially inept.

Borderline personality disorder: A pattern of instability in personal relationships, intense emotions, poor self-image and impulsivity. A person with borderline personality disorder may go to great lengths to avoid being abandoned, have repeated suicide attempts, display inappropriate intense anger, or have ongoing feelings of emptiness.

Dependent personality disorder: A pattern of needing to be taken care of and submissive and clingy behavior. People with dependent personality disorder may have difficulty making daily decisions without reassurance from others or may feel uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of fear of inability to take care of themselves.

Histrionic personality disorder: A pattern of excessive emotion and attention-seeking. People with histrionic personality disorder may be uncomfortable when they are not the center of attention, may use physical appearance to draw attention to themselves or have rapidly shifting or exaggerated emotions.

Narcissistic personality disorder: A pattern of need for admiration and lack of empathy for others. A person with narcissistic personality disorder may have a grandiose sense of self-importance, a sense of entitlement, take advantage of others or lack empathy.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: A pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and control: a person with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may be overly focused on details or schedules, may work excessively, not allowing time for leisure or friends, or may be inflexible in their morality and values. (This is DIFFERENT from obsessive-compulsive disorder.)

Paranoid personality disorder: A pattern of being suspicious of others and seeing them as mean or spiteful. People with paranoid personality disorder often assume people will harm or deceive them and do not confide in others or become close to them.

Schizoid personality disorder: Being detached from social relationships and expressing little emotion. A person with schizoid personality disorder typically does not seek close relationships, chooses to be alone and seems to not care about praise or criticism from others.

Schizotypal personality disorder: A pattern of being extremely uncomfortable in close relationships, having distorted thinking and eccentric behavior. A person with schizotypal personality disorder may have unusual beliefs and/or peculiar behavior or speech or may have excessive social anxiety.

The DSM-5 also identifies three other personality patterns that show characteristics of a personality disorder:

• Personality changes due to another medical condition – personality disturbance due to the direct effects of a medical condition.
• Other specified personality disorder – the general criteria are met but do not meet the criteria for a specific disorder.
• Unspecified personality disorder – general criteria are met but the personality disorder is not included in the DSM-5 classification.

Of the ten personality disorders described in the DSM-5, Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic and Histrionic are considered the most difficult to treat.

Some personality disorders become less severe with age (e.g., antisocial, borderline) while others (e.g., obsessive-compulsive, schizotypal) are less likely to do so.

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How much does it cost?

Psychology Melbourne’s fees for Personality Disorder treatment is as follows:

1. Psychological Testing – initial session

2. One-on-one Counselling

For consultations, the fees are:

• Consultations with a clinical psychologist start from $275 and a Medicare rebate of $141.85 may apply for each session you attend, making an out-of-pocket fee of $133.15 per session.


• Consultations with a registered psychologist start from $230 and a Medicare rebate of $96.65 may apply for every session you attend, making an out-of-pocket fee of $133.35 per session.

Please note:

• The fees for consultations differ between in-person and online sessions. There is an additional fee of $10 for appointments scheduled before 9 am and after 5 pm weekdays, as well as, for appointments throughout the day on Saturdays.
• Medicare rebates are available for 10 one-on-one counselling sessions per calendar year if you have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.
• To access funded services from a third party, such as Workcover or NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme), you must provide approved claim details 48 hours before your first session. If, for any reason, approval is not provided, you will be responsible for full payment, or appointments may be cancelled. A gap fee of $20 per session may apply.
• A reduced fee is considered on request for clients under financial hardship with a letter from your GP confirming your financial situation.
• Fees can be paid by EFTPOS, VISA, or MasterCard. Please note that we do not accept American Express or Diners Club.
• Bulk Billing is not available at our clinic.

For more information, please contact our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

3. Bipolar Group

The cost of a group for all 4-6 sessions is approximately $50 per session. Groups are held online at various times but usually in the evenings.

Groups run by -

• A clinical psychologist costs $510 (6 sessions) and a Medicare rebate of $36.00may apply for every session you attend, making an out-of-pocket fee of $294.00 or $49.00 per session.

• A registered psychologist costs $450 (6 sessions) and a Medicare rebate of $24.65 may apply for every session you attend, making an out-of-pocket fee of $302.10 or $50.35 per session.

Please note:

• Medicare rebates are available for 10 1-hour group sessions per year if you have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP and are located in a telehealth eligible area.
• After pay is available for the initial cost of the group and rebates are sent to your nominated account after each session.

For more information, please contact our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

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How to make an appointment

Counselling appointments

For the Personal Matching and Assessment session, you can book online, and reception will call you back to arrange your appointment times.

For individual counselling appointments you can book online or call our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

Reception will find an appointment time that suits you best and will reserve 3 future appointments so that you can keep your place in your psychologist’s diary. Appointments after that will be made between you and your consultant.

We understand that changes to your appointments are sometimes necessary, but we urge you to notify us as soon as possible to avoid cancellation fees. You will be sent an SMS reminder four (4) days before your appointment.

For in-person appointments we have strict precautions in place at all our locations for your safety. If you are feeling unwell, have any symptoms of fever, or have tested positive for COVID-19, we ask you to use our online counselling services until you are well again.

Please bring your Mental Health Care Plan to your first session or email it to us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au. Alternatively, you can ask your GP to fax this through to us on 03 9957 8122.

For further information, call our Reception team on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

Group appointments

We require prepayment of all groups prior to the start date. You can purchase the group on our website or call our Reception team for assistance on 1300 161 639 or email them info@psychologymelbourne.com.au or use the chat box on this website.

Once you have enrolled in the group, you will be sent several forms to complete before the group starts. If you have any questions about forms, please speak to our helpful Reception team. The forms are required to be completed 24 hours before the group starts.

You will need to join the online group 10 minutes before it starts to ensure there are no technology problems. Assistance on the night is only available for 10 minutes before and after the start time.

Alternatively, we can show you how to join on the day prior to the group starting.

If you have any technology problems, please check your audio and video are working properly as well as your Wi-Fi connection. Refresh your browser if you are still experiencing problems.

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