Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is thought to affect about 2% of the population - and three quarters of people given this diagnosis are women. Through our award-winning programme, we take a holistic approach, to help women between 18 and 65 tackle their symptoms, and progress with their lives, providing this as an outpatient or inpatient service.

BPD is not usually diagnosed until adulthood, as people's personalities are said to still be developing until then. Symptoms can include:

  • mood swings and bouts of anger
  • self harm
  • damaging behaviour in some of the following areas: spending, sex, drug / alcohol misuse, reckless driving, binge eating
  • thinking in very black and white terms, and forming intense, conflict-ridden relationships.

These symptoms can often cause problems with the person's family and work, and result in a poor self image and an inability to make long-term plans.

We offer two treatment models, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Mentalisation.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Our DBT programme aims to give service users the best chance of addressing their problems, in a safe environment, within a special unit at one of our hospitals. Treatment consists of:

  • Skills training - working in groups, users learn to deal with distress, regulate emotions, develop interpersonal skills and become more 'mindful'.
  • Individual therapy - building on the group sessions, we work with each user to focus on positive behaviour, set targets and monitor progress.
  • Complementary therapies - service users can also take part in relaxation, pampering, drama, art and music therapy.

Locations

We provide DBT based inpatient BPD treatment at the following Cygnet Health hospitals:

Mentalisation

We are one of the few services in the UK to adopt the unique approach of Mentalisation-based treatment, which we offer at our Bierley Hospital. This simple, yet effective method is available in both an inpatient or an outpatient setting. Here we encourage individuals to question their conduct and thought patterns, and how they relate to others and vice versa. The treatment aims to provide them with the emotional skills that they are lacking, enabling an improved quality of life and preparing them for more challenging trauma-focused work, which is much needed by many.

Assessment and managing risk form a vital part of our BPD programmes, and we hold regular planning meetings and reviews. After discharge, we maintain contact with the users, carers and community care team, to offer ongoing support.

Locations

We provide mentalisation based inpatient BPD treatment at the following Cygnet Health hospital: