Borderline Personality Disorder

What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Personality disorders affect about 10% of the general population. This group of mental disorders is defined by maladaptive personality characteristics that have a consistent and serious effect on work and interpersonal relationships. DSM-IV defines ten categories of personality disorder. Of these, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is the most frequent in clinical practice. BPD is also one of the most difficult and troubling problems in all of psychiatry. The term "borderline" is …

…system. In other words, normal levels of this brain chemical inhibit impulsive aggression directed either at oneself or other people. Low levels of serotonin appear related to more impulsive and destructive behavior. Serotonin abnormalities may help explain recent findings that medications that increase serotonin levels improve many symptoms. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac (fluoxetine) may result in less impulsivity, less anger, and more stable moods. These findings require corroboration, but the implications are promising.