Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a psychological disorder where an individual shows a pervasive pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, and behavior. It is characterized by various symptoms, such as impulsivity of actions and suicidal behavior. Further, people with BPD tend to make frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, which leads to disturbance in all their relationships. This disorder also leads people to lose control of their emotions, where they often express inappropriate, intense anger. Moreover, as the name suggests, people with BPD have an unstable sense of self. It is clear from all of these symptoms that BPD severely impairs a person’s life. If you, or someone you know, suffers from BPD, it is important for you to gain the necessary knowledge and take appropriate steps to recover. In this article, we have listed the 7 best borderline personality disorder books to help in your journey.
The List of 7 Best Borderline Personality Disorder Books
Below we have listed the 7 best borderline personality disorder books. These books discuss everything you need to know about the disorder, and are written by professionals in the field. By reading these, you will soon be on your way to recovery.
1. I Hate You–Don’t Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality By Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Strauss
This book reflects the most recent research on BPD’s neurobiological, genetic, and developmental roots. Further, it discusses BPD and substance abuse, sexual abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, ADHD, and eating disorders. Advances in both pharmacology and psychotherapy point to real hope for success in the treatment and understanding of BPD. The book is accessible and useful, and is the go-to resource for those diagnosed with BPD. Moreover, it is helpful for their families, friends, and colleagues, as well as professionals and students in the field.
2. The Buddha and the Borderline By Kiera Van Gelder
The author’s first suicide attempt at the age of twelve signaled the beginning of her struggles with drug addiction, depression, and self-harm. All of this eventually led to doctors’ belated diagnosis of borderline personality disorder twenty years later.
This book is a look into this mysterious and debilitating condition. Further, it is an unflinching depiction of one woman’s battle against the emotional devastation of borderline personality disorder. This haunting, intimate memoir follows the author through the devastating period that led to her eventual diagnosis. It also discusses her inspirational recovery through therapy, Buddhist spirituality, and a few bad online dates. Her story illuminates the private struggle to transform suffering into compassion for herself and others. Thus, it is a required reading for anyone seeking to comprehend what it truly means to recover and reclaim the desire to live.
3. Stop Walking on Eggshells By Paul T.T. Mason and Randi Kreger
This book is helpful for the friends and family members of someone living with BPD. It has already helped many such people understand the disorder, set boundaries, and assist their loved ones in stopping dangerous BPD behaviors. The book contains the most recent BPD research on comorbidity. Further, it discusses coping and communication skills you can use to stabilize your relationship with the BPD sufferer in your life.
This caring guide will enable you to:
- Make sense of the confusion
- Speak up for yourself and your needs.
- Dispel conflicts
- Keep yourself and others safe from violent behavior.
If you’re ready to reclaim your peace and stability, this tried-and-true guide will show you how, one confident step at a time.
4. The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook By Daniel J. Fox
What is unique about this ground-breaking and comprehensive workbook is that rather than being a one-size-fits-all approach, it meets you where you are on your therapeutic journey. Moreover, it offers an integrative approach to treating BPD that draws on evidence-based dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal therapy. With the help of this compassionate workbook, you’ll gain a better understanding of your BPD, identify your own emotional triggers, and identify your own personal motivators for positive change.
Your BPD has influenced how you see and live your life, but it does not have to define you for the rest of your life. Hence, with this workbook as your guide, you’ll be prepared to face your diagnosis and take those critical first steps toward long-term wellness.
5. Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder By Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Strauss
This comprehensive book by Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus is a source of hope and practical advice for BPD sufferers and those who love them. It offers proven techniques that will help you in:
- Managing mood swings
- Developing long-term relationships
- Improving self-esteem
- Avoiding negative thoughts
- Controlling destructive impulses
- Understanding your treatment options
- Seeking professional help
6. The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide By Alex L. Chapman, Kim L. Gratz, and Perry D. Hoffman
This book answers many of the questions you may have about BPD: What exactly is BPD? How long is it going to last? What other issues are associated with BPD? The first section of the book contains overviews of what we currently know about BPD. Later chapters discuss DBT, mentalization-based treatment (MBT), and medication treatments as common approaches to treating BPD. You’ll learn a variety of useful coping skills in the book’s final section. Moreover, you will learn how to manage your emotions, deal with suicidal thoughts, and cope with some of the most distressing symptoms of BPD.
7. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder By Marsha Linehan
Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are frequently the most difficult, seemingly intractable cases for the average clinician. This book is the presentation of Marsha M. Linehan’s comprehensive, integrated approach to treating people with BPD, using dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT was the first psychotherapy to be shown to be effective in controlled trials for BPD. It has since been adapted and tested for a variety of other difficult-to-treat emotional dysregulation disorders. While focusing on BPD, this book is required reading for clinicians who provide DBT to clients who have complex, multiple problems.
You may also read: THE 5 BEST SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER BOOKS
Conclusion
This article lists the 7 best borderline personality disorder books. If you understand your diagnosis and want to fight this disorder, you have already taken your first step to recovery. We understand how difficult it can be to live with this disorder, as well as to live with someone who has this disorder. Thus, we have compiled this list for you, and these books will definitely help you improve your quality of life.