Supporting Loved One with BPD: Quickstart Guide
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The content segments provide valuable insights and tips on how to support a loved one with borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is characterized by individuals constantly balancing between safety and danger, acceptance and rejection, and themselves and others. It is important to understand that BPD often develops in individuals who have experienced trauma, leading to structural changes in the brain. Trauma can come from various sources, including personal experiences or being born with a heightened sensitivity to stimuli in the environment.
Individuals with BPD have a heightened stress response system, which means their brains release a larger amount of stress hormones when faced with triggers. Telling them to "just get over it" or "let it go" only worsens their feelings of isolation and unsafety. Rejection triggers feelings of unsafety and isolation, especially if these experiences occurred during childhood when they lacked the necessary coping skills.
To support someone with BPD, it is crucial to help them feel safe. Respond to their emotions, validate their experiences, and empathize with their pain. Support them in tolerating distress and riding the wave of intense emotions until it starts to subside. Identifying triggers and developing prevention and wellness plans can be helpful. Consider emotions, environment, relationships, and communication styles when supporting someone with BPD. Encourage journaling, mindfulness, and effective communication. Recognize warning signs of dysregulation and allow for a recovery period afterward.
It is important to recognize that dysregulation is exhausting for both the individual with BPD and their support system. Setting and maintaining boundaries can be challenging, so working with the person and their therapist is crucial. Show interest in understanding their experience and offer support to make them feel more validated and supported. Reflect on your own reactions and communicate them in a way that shows you are not angry with them but rather with the condition.
The content segments provide valuable insights and tips on how to support a loved one with borderlin