Understanding and Treating Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Professionals and Families »

John G. Gunderson, M.D., is Director of the Center for Treatment and Research on Borderline Personality Disorder at McClean Hospital in Belmont Massachusetts. He is also Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Perry D. Hoffman, Ph.D., is President of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder and Research Associate at Weill Medical College at Cornell University in New York, New York.

Understanding and Treating Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Professionals and Families offers both a valuable update for mental health professionals and much-needed information and encouragement for BPD patients and their families and friends. The editors of this eminently practical and accessible text have brought together the wide-ranging and updated perspectives of 15 recognized experts who discuss topics such as

• A new understanding of BPD, suggesting that individuals may be genetically prone to developing BPD and that certain stressful events may trigger its onset
• New evidence for the success of various forms of psychotherapy, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), in reducing self-injury, drug dependence, and days in the hospital for some groups of people with BPD
• Pharmacology research showing that the use of specific medications can relieve the cognitive, affective, and impulsive symptoms experienced by individuals with BPD, as part of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment plan
• New resources for families to help them deal with the dysregulated emotions of their loved ones with BPD and to build effective support systems for themselves

Yet much remains to be done. Research on BPD is 20 to 30 years behind that on other major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Despite evidence to the contrary, much of the professional literature on BPD continues to focus on childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect as triggers for BPD—to the detriment of both patient and family.

Families of people with BPD must deal with an array of burdens in coping with the illness, often without basic information. The chapters on families and BPD give voice to the experience of BPD from the perspective of individuals and family members, and offer the hope that family involvement in treatment will be beneficial to everyone.

Above all, this book is about the partnership between mental health professionals and families affected by BPD, and about how such a partnership can advance our understanding and treatment of this disorder and provide hope for the future.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Marie A Dewitt, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This well-written book sets out to demystify borderline personality disorder and educate a wide readership on the disorder and its treatment.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide information and education about borderline personality disorder to reduce the confusion and isolation surrounding it. Besides providing much needed information on the subject, this book is unique in its goal and ability to provide information in a way that is useful to patients, their families, and healthcare professionals.
Audience:The book is written by experts on the topic with the target audience of health professionals, patients, and family members of those with borderline personality disorder. It is written in such a way that allows for persons with varied levels of medical sophistication to gain better understanding of this frequently misunderstood disorder.
Features:The book is organized in two main sections. The first includes the current understanding of borderline personality disorder including information about the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, while the second focuses on personal and family experiences with the disorder. The book provides a nice blend of traditional text and case examples with complementary tables and lists. A unique positive feature of the book is a section at the end of each chapter specifically labeled for family members but appropriate for all non-healthcare professionals to both reiterate the salient points of the chapter and to define technical terms in a glossary. The only shortcoming is the occasional section that is dense and relies heavily on technical terms, likely making it difficult for laypersons to comprehend.
Assessment:This impressive book is quite successful in clearly communicating information to a diverse audience on a complex disorder. It is a one of a kind source that provides an extensive amount of information for professionals and lay persons in a unique and manageable form by blending personal experiences with current psychiatric understanding. It will be a valuable resource for family members, patients, and healthcare professionals alike.

Foreword. Preface. A word to the lay reader. Part I: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis. The borderline diagnosis: concepts, criteria, and controversies. Psychotherapies for borderline personality disorder. Suicidal and self-injurious behavior in borderline personality disorder: a self-regulation model. Pharmacotherapy in borderline personality disorder. The longitudinal course of borderline personality disorder. Part II: Family Matters. Living with borderline personality disorder: two firsthand accounts. Family perspectives on borderline personality disorder. From family trauma to family support system. Family involvement in treatment. Index.