What are the Medications for Borderline Personality Disorder?

Medications for borderline personality disorder are generally prescribed as a way of managing its symptoms. While many in the mental health community believe that the best treatment for borderline personality disorder is psychotherapy, particularly dialectic behavioral therapy, it is sometimes acknowledged that certain drugs can help sufferers manage their more extreme emotions. Types of medications for borderline personality disorder include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and, more rarely, anti-anxiety drugs.

Borderline personality disorder is often characterized by ongoing intense mood swings and impulsive behavior. As a result, individuals with borderline personality disorder create considerable havoc in their own lives as well as the lives of others. Many mental health professionals believe that borderline personality disorder has its roots in a childhood fear of abandonment. The person with borderline personality disorder, fearing abandonment. may attempt to take control of personal relationships and the eventual, expected abandonment by manufacturing crises that eventually result in the termination of the relationship. The sufferer then moves on to another scenario in which the cycle is repeated.

If the sufferer is fortunate enough to find a competent therapist, it may be that ongoing therapy and counseling is enough to bring about a change in behavior. Some therapists may wish to refer the client to a medical doctor for possible pharmaceutical treatment. When selecting medications for borderline personality disorder, the therapist and physician may wish to address some of the more significant symptoms experienced by the patient. For example, if the patient suffers primarily from wild mood swings, a mood stabilizer may help the person to avoid the inevitable damage to relationships that such changes can cause. On the other hand, antidepressants may be a better choice for sufferers who have to deal with irritability or impulsive behavior such as the urge to spend a lot of money, eat too much, or engage in unhealthy sexual behaviors.

Other medications for borderline personality disorder include antipsychotics and anti-anxiety drugs. For individuals with borderline personality disorder who experience paranoia or delusional thoughts, an antipsychotic drug can be helpful. Anti-anxiety drugs can sometimes be prescribed as medications for borderline personality disorder, as some sufferers do experience anxiety on a regular basis. The mental health community has not found anti-anxiety drugs to be particularly effective in treating individuals with borderline personality disorder. In fact, in some cases, they can make the condition worse, and depending on the drug used, may result in dependence. In general, the mental health community seems to reinforce the idea that medications for borderline personality disorder should be used judiciously and in concert with effective forms of psychotherapy.