Tennessee Mental Health Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder that causes instability in social relationships, self-image, and mood. BPD can also lead to impulsive thoughts and actions. Engaging in destructive behaviors like criminal activity, substance abuse, and casual sex with multiple partners. The consequences of these actions are an afterthought.

Individuals with BPD may also struggle with controlling their anger and processing it in a healthy manner. These emotional outbursts can lead to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and behaviors, or endangerment to others.

At TRUE Addiction and Behavioral Health, our borderline personality disorder treatment center in Murfreesboro, TN customizes treatment plans for each client. That means our approach to treating borderline personality disorder promotes mental wellness, awareness of how BPD impacts their daily life, and how to pave the way for long-term recovery.

Why Choose TRUE Addiction and Behavioral Health for BPD Treatment

Our team at TRUE Addiction and Behavioral Health causes you to feel part of a supportive community. Our treatment team is well-respected in the industry, and we are experts in mental health disorders such as BPD. We utilize our medical backgrounds and passion for healing to help you thrive while maintaining coping skills for living with BPD.

Our treatment plans are designed to address each person’s unique needs and goals. This individualized approach empowers those receiving treatment because they play a role in determining the best treatment plan. Our compassionate staff is committed to providing our clients with the best care. Our core values, compassion, dedication, and respect, mean we run our programs with the highest standards of integrity. 

T.R.U.E. (Transforming Roots Unto Eternity) isn’t just a name to us. It’s how we live our daily lives inside and outside our treatment facility.

Co-Occurring BPD and Substance Abuse

BPD is a public health concern in Tennessee. We want to help those who need it receive the best behavioral health treatment possible.

Co-occurring BPD and substance abuse is when an individual has a mental health disorder, such as BPD, and a substance abuse disorder, either drugs or alcohol. An individual may use substances to cope, but this creates a cycle of self-medicating that only worsens the mental health symptoms.

Treating co-occurring disorders requires therapy, medication management, and a supportive network. It is vital for individuals struggling with both substance abuse and BPD to receive treatment for long-term recovery to combat this dual diagnosis.

Our BPD Treatment Services

At TRUE Addiction and Behavioral Health, we offer treatment programs where our clients learn to take control of BPD. We offer varying treatment options of care to make this possible.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment effective for various problems, including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use issues, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. Our evidence-based research suggests that CBT significantly improves functioning and quality of life for those diagnosed with BPD.

CBT is an effective treatment for individuals with BPD because it focuses on problem-solving and changing negative thought patterns. In addition, it is a goal-oriented approach, which sets our clients up for success because they work with their therapist to set realistic benchmarks for recovery.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a therapeutic treatment used to treat BPD. DBT effectively treats many other disorders, such as substance dependence, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

DBT helps clients who struggle with managing their emotions and relationships and those considering self-harm. This treatment service is ideal for individuals with emotion regulation, impulse control, and social difficulties that BPD brings.

EMDR Therapy

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy helps individuals overcome symptoms caused by trauma and distress through rhythmic bilateral stimulation (typically eye-movement).

It is used to treat various mental health disorders, including BPD. EMDR therapy can help resolve unpleasant memories and experiences previously resistant to treatment. This psychotherapy technique is based on the idea that the mind can heal from psychological trauma, similar to how the body can recover from physical trauma.

Individuals participating in EMDR therapy learn to apply skills to approach specific life challenges and events. Typically, our therapists will conduct EMDR sessions weekly for about an hour. This type of therapy is used with other treatments to treat symptoms of BPD.

Individual Therapy

As a component of our comprehensive approach, individual therapy is a safe space for our clients to explore their thoughts, feelings, and concerns one-on-one with their therapist. The client is the sole focus during individual therapy, which provides deeper insight into the issues that led to addiction, giving each client more time to develop coping strategies.

Individual therapy works because it offers a supportive connection with our therapists to work through emotional and interpersonal issues. This benefits our clients with BPD because of the consistency, structure, and therapeutic alliance they receive. Group therapy can be overwhelming for some of our clients and can be a trigger given the unstable emotions associated with BPD.

Holistic Therapy

Holistic therapy is an alternative treatment service that focuses on the whole person and not just specific symptoms related to BPD. Our therapists consider our clients’ physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being, allowing them to develop balance and coping skills.

We use several holistic therapy services:

• Creative outlets: Art therapy, dance, music therapy, and journaling allow our clients to explore their thoughts and feelings using hands-on methods. These outlets foster creative expression and are helpful for individuals who have trouble expressing themselves otherwise. As a result, individuals become better equipped to manage emotional triggers.
• Animal therapy: Interactions between humans and animals stimulate physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being. We use horses that are domesticated and trained for therapy purposes. We incorporate them into various therapeutic settings to facilitate positive outcomes for individuals.
• Yoga: Yoga is a therapeutic practice that alleviates the symptoms of BPD because of its positive impact on mental health. We combine physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, customized to each client’s needs, to encourage our clients to be in the present moment. Our guided meditation facilitates peaceful visualizations and leads to a state of reduced stress and peace.
• Physical movement: This holistic treatment improves physical and mental health while promoting emotional, cognitive, physical, and social blending. Our clients find the confidence to engage in a successful recovery.
• Acupuncture therapy: The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body. The therapist will determine where to place the needles based on individual needs. Once they do, the energy flow, known as Qi (pronounced “chee”), follows pathways throughout the body to restore balance and promote health and well-being.

Holistic therapy works for people of all ages and with mental health conditions. We help our clients understand that the mind, body, and spirit are all connected, and understanding these connections provides strategies for alleviating the symptoms of their disorders.

Our Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Treatment Programs

TRUE Addiction and Behavioral Health offers outpatient programs as well as partial hospitalization. Sober-living homes are an option as well. Depending on each client’s admissions assessment and progress during treatment, we will recommend the program that best fits as a part of our continuum of care.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) provide a flexible approach to treatment. Our clients are not required to stay overnight because it is not a residential treatment program. They can maintain daily responsibilities outside of treatment.

IOPs require an in-facility commitment of several hours a day. During that time, IOP gives our clients the tools to stabilize mood swings, improve their ability to carry out daily functions and manage any other symptoms they experience.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

We know that some clients require a more intensive program than IOP can offer. Those clients are guided down a partial hospitalization program (PHP) route. The in-facility commitment is more than half a day. But it is still a personalized approach. Our clients receive treatment all day. However, this one is also not residential. Individuals return home at lunchtime or later in the evening if they have therapy after lunchtime.

Clients can expect intensive treatment, including medication management, as needed, and counseling tailored to their bodies’ response to bipolar disorder. PHP therapists closely watch symptoms for improvements or to make adjustments in an individual’s treatment plan.

PHP allows our clients to establish routines while engaging with a supportive community of peers and healthcare professionals. Research shows that PHP significantly improves symptom management and overall quality of life for individuals with bipolar disorder.

Sober Living

For our clients with co-occurring substance use disorder, a sober living community is an ideal option in this case. We understand the importance of treating both mental health and addiction. This dual diagnosis sometimes requires medication management as part of the treatment plan.

Our sober living homes offer structured housing that provides additional accountability through drug tests and curfews. Sober living is often used in conjunction with PHP and IOP. Sober living homes offer structured accommodations that provide extra accountability through drug tests, curfews, and peer support groups. Sober living is often used with PHP and IOP and makes for an easier transition back to daily life and obligations.

Just like our other programs, sober living has different levels.

• Peer-Run – Peer ran without oversight from the treatment facility; residents decide the house rules and hold each other accountable.
• Monitored – Senior resident ran; residents follow established house rules and participate in group therapy and other levels of care as decided by the treatment facility oversight
• Supervised – Led by our treatment facility, which monitors residents’ mental health conditions while teaching coping skills and providing psychotherapy, life skills, and self-awareness coaching as needed
• Integrated Therapies – Our facility structures this transitional living format while residents continue in their treatment program

Identifying High-Risk BPD Factors

While the cause of borderline personality disorder is unknown, genetic, family, and social factors play a role.

Risk factors for BPD include:

• Abandonment in childhood or adolescence
• Disrupted family life
• Poor communication in the family
• Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse

Individuals with BPD are often uncertain about their identity, which causes their interests and values and their views on people can change rapidly.

BPD can also convince individuals that everything is good or bad with no medium way of thinking. They also tend to view things in terms of extremes, such as good or bad. These shifting feelings often lead to intense and unstable social relationships.

Other symptoms of BPD include:

• Intense fear of being abandoned
• Cannot tolerate being alone
• Frequent feelings of emptiness and boredom
• Frequent displays of inappropriate anger
• Impulsiveness, such as with substance abuse or sexual relationships
• Repeated crises and acts of self-injury, such as wrist cutting or overdosing

We also understand how important it is to educate others on the following facts concerning BPD.

• BPD accounts for 20% of the inpatient psychiatric population in the United States.
• The life expectancy among people with BPD is nearly 20 years less than the national average.
• A study by the University of Georgia found a link between those with high borderline personality traits and a decreased use of neural activity in the brain.
• According to Georgia Behavioral Health Professionals, about 3% of men and 1% of women live with BPD.
• The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that approximately 1.4% of the adult U.S. population experiences BPD.

FAQ About Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

What are some of the common characteristics of BPD?
BPD is characterized by instability in social relationships, emotions, and self-perception. Those with BPD tend to indulge in impulsive and destructive actions, including substance abuse, reckless driving, mood swings, and self-harm.

What are some of the behavioral changes associated with BDP?
Usually, an individual with BPD fears abandonment has difficulty maintaining relationships, and experiences suicidal thoughts. Mood swings, paranoia, binge eating, inflicting self-harm, and shifting from finding value in things an individual once enjoyed to disliking them can occur.

Does BPD have any connection to genetics?
Genetics increase the likelihood of developing BPD, and individuals with a family history of BPD and mental illness are at a higher risk of developing the disorder.

If I suspect I might have BPD, do I need treatment, or can I outgrow it?
BPD requires professional treatment from licensed healthcare providers because the symptoms can be challenging to manage alone. Licensed therapists, counselors, and facilitators provide the necessary care to allow individuals to participate in a combination of therapy, medication, and self-help coping skills. These are essential for improving quality of life.

Get The Help You Need Today

If your mental health is interfering with daily life, we are here to support you in getting the treatment and resources you need. Our leading borderline personality disorder treatment center in Murfreesboro, TN understands mental health and how rewarding it is to enter long-term recovery.