(HS Fisher 058744 2021) Borderline Personality Disorder as a Traumatic Attachment Disorder

Course overview

Borderline Personality Disorder is a diagnosis that is given 50-100% more frequently to female than to male clients, not surprising given the numerous studies over the past thirty years that demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between that diagnosis and a history of childhood abuse. But despite that research evidence, BPD is rarely treated as a trauma-related condition. We can better understand Borderline Personality as a traumatic attachment disorder. In the context of trauma, attachment failure is inevitable, leaving a lasting imprint on all future relationships. Rather than experiencing others as a haven of safety, traumatized individuals are driven by powerful wishes and fears of relationships. Their intense emotions and impulsive behavior make them vulnerable to being labeled 'borderline' and thus feared or dreaded by the therapists from whom they seek help. The borderline client is not at war with the therapist. She is caught up in an internal battle: Do I dare to trust or should I not trust? Should I live or should I die? Do I love or do I hate? Understanding borderline clients as fragmented and at war with themselves transforms the therapeutic relationship and the treatment.