Running Head: BORDERLINE PERSONALITY

Borderline Personality Disorder: Diagnostic Complexity and Misunderstanding
Nova Southeastern University
March 31, 2009

“The term borderline personality disorder (BPD) suggests the image of a person who is on the edge or border of something” (Stoeltje, 2009). During the beginning of the twentieth century, all psychiatric problems were viewed as falling along a single continuum that ranged from neurotic to psychotic. Originally, the border in borderline was believed to fall somewhere within this continuum, and was actually once termed pseudo-neurotic schizophrenia. While many of the instances of the disorder have been cited in medical literature since the 1930’s, the condition did not get official recognition as borderline personality disorder until the 1980’s (Stoeltje, 2009). Now, professionals have abandoned the single continuum concept of behavioral health problems, and now know borderline personality disorder does not progress into schizophrenia (Stoeltje, 2009). In fact, approximately 2 to 4 percent of adults (at least six million people nationwide) suffer from a clinically significant form of borderline personality disorder. As a fairly new psychological disorder, the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder is still debated, with various symptoms commonly mistaken for other disorders. Despite the ongoing controversy, the unique symptoms, age and gender differences, possible causes, as well as the role of stress and substance abuse have convinced many professionals, in the field of psychology, to recognize BPD as an independent and unique disorder, and treat the disorder accordingly (Stoeltje, 2009). Before the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder can be made, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) requires that