OUR FUTURE IN MIND

- Yousha Suryaprakash Kukyan

YOUR MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER

WHAT IS BORDER LINE PERSONALITY DISORDER?

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER (BPD). IT TOOK DECADES
TO EVEN RECOGNIZE BPD AS A DISTINCT DIAGNOSIS, AND IT WAS ONCE THOUGHT TO BE UNTREATABLE. THROUGH
RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY, WE KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION AND HOW TO
TREAT IT.
THE MAIN THING THAT DEFINES BPD IS INSTABILITY. THAT CAN SHOW UP IN UNSTABLE MOODS, BEHAVIOR,
THOUGHTS, RELATIONSHIPS, AND SELF-IMAGE. YOU MAY STRUGGLE WITH INTENSE EMOTIONS, IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR,
AND A SHAKY SENSE OF SELF.
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT) WAS CREATED SPECIFICALLY TO HELP PEOPLE WITH BPD. IT TEACHES YOU
THE SKILLS TO IDENTIFY, PROCESS, AND MANAGE INTENSE EMOTIONS AND THE BEHAVIORS THAT GO ALONG WITH
THEM. DBT IS USUALLY DONE THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE THERAPY, GROUP TRAINING SESSIONS, AND OVER-THE-PHONE
CRISIS COACHING.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION THAT MAY HELP TO REDUCE THE INTENSITY OR DURATION OF MANY OF THE
SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER.
 DIALECTICAL BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT) PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH NEW SKILLS
TO MANAGE PAINFUL EMOTIONS AND DECREASE CONFLICT IN RELATIONSHIPS.
DBT SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC SKILLS IN THREE
KEY AREAS.
MINDFULNESS
IN THE MOMENT: MEDITATE ON HOW
YOU’RE FEELING

MINDFULNESS IS ABOUT BEING AWARE OF

YOUR THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND
BEHAVIOR. IT’S ABOUT FOCUSING ON THE
PRESENT MOMENT WITHOUT RELIVING THE
PAST OR IMAGINING THE FUTURE. IT ALSO
MEANS THAT YOU AREN'T JUDGING THE
THINGS YOU’RE THINKING AND FEELING.
FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH BPD,
PRACTICING MINDFULNESS HELPS YOU
STAY IN THE MOMENT AND REACT TO
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW, RATHER THAN
GETTING STUCK OR SPIRALING.

DISTRESS TOLERANCE
IN THE MOMENT: DISTRACT AND SELF-
SOOTHE

DISTRESS TOLERANCE MEANS LEARNING TO

COPE WITH INTENSE EMOTIONS AND
HANDLE CRISES. PEOPLE LIVING WITH BPD
CAN BUILD UP RESILIENCE TO DEAL WITH
THOSE DIFFICULT FEELINGS ON THEIR OWN
INSTEAD OF RELYING ON OTHER PEOPLE
FOR REASSURANCE. IT’S ABOUT ACCEPTING
AND GETTING THROUGH THE PAIN.

EMOTIONAL
REGULATION
IN THE MOMENT: UNDERSTAND,
CHALLENGE, FEEL, AND ACT

EMOTIONAL REGULATION HELPS YOU TO

UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE YOUR
EMOTIONS. IT CAN MAKE A HUGE
DIFFERENCE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH BPD
WHO OFTEN FACE REALLY OVERWHELMING
AND CONSTANTLY CHANGING EMOTIONS.
 NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTATION WITH OMEGA 3 FATTY

ACIDS APPEAR TO BE AN EFFECTIVE
TREATMENT FOR ADOLESCENTS AND
ADULTS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF
BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER. IN
RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY DRS. MARY
ZANARINI AND FRANCES FRANKENBURG,
SUPPLEMENTING WITH 1000 MG OF
OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS DAILY OVER THE
COURSE OF 8 WEEKS RESULTED IN A
SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN BOTH
DEPRESSION AND AGGRESSION.

SUPPLEMENTING WITH MAGNESIUM

—A NATURAL MUSCLE RELAXER—
MAY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WHO
ARE DIAGNOSED WITH BORDERLINE
PERSONALITY DISORDER AND ARE
EXPERIENCING MIGRAINES,
DEPRESSION, HIGH ANXIETY, OR
HAVE A CO-OCCURING DIAGNOSIS
OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY
DISORDER.

VITAMIN C MAY ALSO BE BENEFICIAL

IN TREAT ING INDIVIDUALS WITH BPD
WHOSE S YMPTOMS ARE MANIFESTED
THROUGH ANXIETY, RESTLESSNESS, OR
NERVOUS ENERGY.

UPWARDS OF 40% OF ADULTS IN THE

UNITED STATES MAY BE VITAMIN D
DEFICIENT AND INDIVIDUALS WITH
DARKER SKIN TONES ARE
PARTICULARLY AT RISK FOR LOW
VITAMIN D. DEFICIENCIES IN VITAMIN
D ARE ALSO WELL-DOCUMENTED
AMONG THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH MOOD
AND ANXIETY DISORDERS SUCH AS
DYSTHYMI AND DEPRESSION. IN 2018,
A STUDY CONCLUDED THAT ADULTS
WHO SUPPLEMENTED WITH VITAMIN D
SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. ANOTHER
RECENT STUDY SHOWED THAT
SUPPLEMENTATION WITH VITAMIN D
FOR A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS
HELPED TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF
DEPRESSION.