The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Brian Murray LMHC People who experience someone with borderline personality disorder are often unaware of what they are dealing with and what to expect. People who are in a relationship with one, married to or a family member go to therapy trying to figure out what is wrong with themselves. After some exploration, it becomes apparent that what is really going on is they are trying to deal with someone who appears borderline. Borderline's main symptom that most people recognize first is an intense mood swing. They go from an attitude of adoring you and then the next minute they rage on you. This is why many people get them confused with bipolar because the mood shift is so apparent. However, closer examination will reveal that a mood shift is different in bipolar, as bipolar is more subtle and takes longer for the swing to occur. Not only that, most people who experience bipolar are able to articulate how and when their mood is shifting. They feel the downward or u...

By: Christine Hammond LMHC The first couple of therapy sessions with Trina were rollercoaster rides. One second she was excited about a new job and all of the possibilities it presented. The next she was anxious and overwhelmed from being a caretaker to her mother. Then she was nervous and depressed over the thought that her long-time partner might leave her. Despite several attempts to help her regulate the extremes of her emotional responses, she continued to experience intense reactions. The initial thought of the therapist was that she had Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). But after further assessment, Trina was missing some necessary ingredients. She did not have an intense fear of abandonment as demonstrated by her ten years of living without a partner. She also had no history of suicidality or self-harming behaviors. And while she did occasionally overindulge with alcoholic beverages, this behavior was not nor had never been done at addictive levels. ...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC A diagnosis doesn’t have to be negative. The very thing that makes a person unique, special, different, and an individual might just fit within one of the diagnostic codes. A gift of music or a talent in sports is celebrated, but aren’t these also things that separate out people from the norm? By definition, a diagnosis is a group of characteristics that are one or more standard deviation from the norm. But so are high intelligence, greatness, excellence, and champions. I would propose that every disorder can have some benefit. Depression can turn a person inward causing them to be more reflective and self-analytical. It also releases strong emotions of disappointment, grief, and rejection. This can be a cleansing process. Anxiety when seen as a warning signal instead of something to fear can heighten the senses and alert a person of impending danger, a triggered memory, or overload. Used properly, anxiety can become a guiding friend instea...