personality disorders explained

in many different ways. Therefore, in most cases, effective treatment plans are
more complex than can be accomplished by a single type of treatment.
Immediate Help: You should establish how the provider handles those times
when you may need immediate help, for example who will respond to your
telephone calls and under what
circumstances. Also, should you require
brief hospitalization, what hospital will
be utilized, and who will direct your
care when you are in the hospital.
Communication: If you will have more
than one clinician working with you, it
is important to establish the degree to
which they will work with you and with
your family or partner, and with each
other. It is important that the team
communicate openly. Under most
circumstances, it is essential that those
people who are very important in your
life are included in your treatment. The types and frequency of involvement
required are best discussed prior to the onset of treatment.
Finding the Right Fit: Ultimately, you are looking for clinicians who appear to
be “good fits” for you and your special needs. To some degree this is a subjective
quality, and cannot be easily defined further, but patients often sense when they
have found the right professionals with whom to work.
Credentials: It is very appropriate to ask about the potential provider’s specific
credentials: in what mental health specialty do they have their degree; are they
certified properly, for example., for psychiatrists, by the American Board of
Psychiatry and Neurology; are they licensed to practice in their specific clinical
area; and what degree of training and experience do they have with borderline
disorder.
Payment Information: Finally, you should obtain their fee schedule and method
of payment for different services, for example medication checks, and individual
and group psychotherapy sessions. Many clinicians accept insurance with copayments,
while some require self payment.
At the outset of care, remember that your doctor may not be able to determine
precisely the most effective treatments for you. Therefore, it seems to me most
reasonable to find a psychiatrist, and other clinicians when necessary, who know
the relevant medical literature, that have open minds regarding different
diagnostic possibilities and treatment approaches, and who communicate well
with you and your family. Given our current level of knowledge about borderline
disorder, it is likely that such professionals will give you the best help available,
now and in the future.
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