John G. Gunderson

BPD affects a significant percentage of the population. It is a disorder of relationships, one whose symptoms occur most in interpersonal contexts-and thus impact any number of interpersonal connections in life. When people have BPD, they may struggle to manage their emotions on a daily basis, and have to deal with fears of abandonment, anger issues, self-injury, and even suicidality-all of which can lead to even more instability in relationships.This powerful compilation of stories reveals the deeply personal, firsthand perspectives of people who suffer with BPD, explores the numerous ways in which this disorder has affected their lives, and outlines the most debilitating and misunderstood symptoms of BPD (the most tragic being suicide). Beyond Borderline delves into the many ways the disorder can present-as well as the many paths to recovery-using evidence-based tools from dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), mindfulness meditation, metallization-based therapy (MBT), and more.BPD is a challenging disorder that impacts people's lives and relationships in countless ways. With this book-full of intimate accounts that reflect the myriad ways BPD presents and how it affects not just those afflicted, but also their loved ones-you'll gain a deeper understanding of the disorder and learn how to move forward on the path toward healing while dealing with BPD.

This volume gives psychodynamic psychotherapists a view of how their colleagues actually treat severely disturbed borderline patients and how treatments proceed over the course of several years.

The diagnosis and treatment of patients with BPD can be fraught with anxiety, uncertainty, and complexity. How welcome, then, is the Handbook of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder, which teaches clinicians what to do and how to do it, as well as what not to do and how to avoid it. The author, a renowned researcher and clinician, has developed a new evidence-based treatment, Good Psychiatric Management (GPM) that comfortably utilizes cognitive, behavioral, and psychodynamic interventions that are practical and simple to implement. Because psychoeducation is an important component of GPM, the book teaches clinicians how to educate their patients about BPD, including the role of genetics and the expected course of the disease. This approach offers advantages both to practitioners, who become more adept at honest communication, and to patients, who are encouraged to have realistic hopes and to focus on strategies for coping with BPD in daily life. The book is structured for maximum learning, convenience, and utility, with an impressive array of features. • Section I provides background on BPD, including the myths that sometimes discourage clinicians from treating these patients and that hamper the effective treatment of the disorder.• Section II, the GPM Manual, provides a condensed and clear description of the most essential and specific GPM interventions that clinicians can learn from and use in everyday practice.• Section III, the GPM Workbook, offers case vignettes which reference chapters from the manual. Each vignette has a number of "decision points" where alternative interventions are proposed and discussed. • To further facilitate learning, a set of nine interactions is found in a series of online video demonstrations. Here, readers can see in vivo illustrations of the GPM model in practice.• Finally, a set of appendices provides critical information, such as a comparison of GPM with other evidence-based treatments of BPD, scaling risk and response strategies, and family guidelines. Designed to be a basic case management text for all hospital, outpatient clinic, or office-based psychiatrists or mental health professionals who assume primary responsibility for the treatment of those with BPD, the Handbook of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder constitutes a breakthrough in the treatment of these often misunderstood patients.

Covering the range of clinical presentations, treatments, and levels of care, Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Guide, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis and treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD). The second edition includes new research about BPD's relationship to other disorders and up-to-date descriptions of empirically validated treatments, including cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic approaches. Compelling new research also indicates a much better prognosis for BPD than previously known. A pioneer in the field, author John Gunderson, M.D., director of the Borderline Personality Disorder Center at McLean Hospital, draws from nearly 40 years of research and clinical experience. The guide begins with a clear and specific definition of BPD, informed by a nuanced overview of the historical evolution of the diagnosis and a thoughtful discussion of misdiagnosis. Offering a complete evaluation of treatment approaches, Dr. Gunderson provides an authoritative overview of the treatment options and describes in-depth each modality of treatment, including pharmacotherapy, family therapy, individual and group therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Unlike other works, this book guides clinicians in using multiple modalities, including the sequence of treatments and the types of changes that can be expected from each mode. The discussion of each treatment emphasizes empirically validated therapies, helping clinicians choose modalities that work best for specific patients. In addition, Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Guide, Second Edition, also outlines therapeutic approaches for multiple settings, such as hospitalization, partial hospitalization or day hospital programs, and levels of outpatient care. Complementing the well-organized treatment guide are a series of informative and intriguing sidebars, providing insight into the subjective experience of BPD, addressing myths about therapeutic alliances in BPD, and questioning the efficacy of contracting for safety. Throughout the book, Dr. Gunderson recommends specific do's and don'ts for disclosing the diagnosis, discussing medications, meeting with families, starting psychotherapy, and managing suicidality. A synthesis of theory and practical examples, Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Guide, Second Edition, provides a thorough and practical manual for any clinician working with BPD patients.