personality disorders explained

Treatment of Anxiety and Panic Attack Symptoms in Borderline
Disorder
Effective treatment of disabling anxiety and panic attack symptoms in people with
borderline disorder should be initiated promptly when these disorders occur. Such
treatment usually consists of the use of medications and behavioural techniques.
The use of medications to treat anxiety and panic attack symptoms in patients
with borderline disorder must proceed with care. This is so because these
disorders are commonly treated with benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium,
etc.), that have been found to be harmful in most patients with borderline
disorder because they increase impulsivity and have addictive potential.
Therefore, in borderline disorder, other classes of medications are often required,
such as a temporary increase in the neuroleptic, atypical antipsychotic or
antidepressant medication being used to treat the disorder. Initiating the use of
an antipsychotic agent or an antidepressant may prove effective for moderate to
severe anxiety and panic attack symptoms if one is not already prescribed.
In addition, a course of cognitive behavioural therapy, or of biofeedback,
specifically tailored to target anxiety and panic attack symptoms are often
considered as part of the long-term treatment of these problems.
The Symptoms and Treatment of Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Patients
with Borderline Disorder
by Robert O. Friedel, MD
Background
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) occurs in about 25% of people
with borderline disorder; 5 times more often than it does in the general
population. The symptoms of ADHD include decreased attention and
concentration, easy distractibility, difficulty in the completion of tasks, and poor
management of time and the space area that you use. These symptoms of ADHD
result in significantly impaired school, work and social performance, and are
described in detail below.
ADHD is estimated to occur in about 5% of school age children. It is more
common in boys than in girls. There are subtypes associated with hyperactivity
and normal activity levels. The hyperactive subtype is much more common in
boys, while the inattentive subtype (the subtype with normal activity levels) is
somewhat more evenly distributed among boys and girls. The symptoms of ADHD
are now known to persist into adulthood in many people, and to require
continued treatment. There is often a strong family history of ADHD.