BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Borderline Personality Disorder Case Study
S.is a 48-year-old divorced woman with one adult daughter and three grandchildren. She is currently working as an LPN part-time in a nursing home and works at a convenience store one or two days per week. She has had many jobs over the last 22 years, usually changing every one or two years to a new job. S notes that she has been called less often to work in the convenience store and worries that they don’t like her anymore. She reports being written up several times for arguing with customers. She also reports that she liked her supervisor at; first; she says, “Now I hate her; she’s trying to get me fired.” S. reports that she has tried to get full-time jobs five times in the last four years was hired for three but only lasted one or two weeks at each one.
S. reports that she is currently not talking to her daughter because “she is mean to me and she needs to apologize, or I won’t talk to her again.” She is upset that she hasn’t seen her three small grandchildren in about a year. She sends them presents and cards frequently that say “I still love you! Grandma” but hasn’t called them since she stopped talking to her daughter. She is considering reporting to the county that her daughter is keeping her grandchildren from her.
S. is very unhappy that she isn’t in a relationship. She was abused by her ex-husband and had a pattern of meeting and dating men who eventually abused her. She states that her last relationship was very good; the man was not abusive, and “I loved him very much.” The relationship ended for reasons that S. doesn’t understand. However, she does report many arguments that ended in “scenes,” such as her throwing chairs, stomping out of the house, making crank phone calls to his family, and calling the police with false reports. But S. also reports that she “couldn’t have loved him more, and I showed it.” She gives examples of going to her boyfriend’s place of work with flowers, buying him expensive presents, surprising him with tickets to Mexico at the last minute – she was very upset that he wasn’t willing to drop everything and go with her. S. reports asking him why he didn’t love her and what she was doing wrong regularly. When the boyfriend asked to break up, S. reported sitting outside his house for weeks, crying; she called his mother, called his boss, and called and texted him until he filed a restraining order. This occurred about four months ago.
S. admitted herself to the mental health unit when she felt suicidal. She reports that she had stopped her psychotherapy three months ago and stopped going to DBT. She also stopped her anti-depressant at that time, as she felt it wasn’t working, and missed her last two psychiatrist appointments.
Directions:
Read the case study about borderline personality disorder and answer the following questions in your initial posting:
CASE STUDY
- How would you use therapeutic communication and principles of cognitive behavioral therapy with the client?
- Describe your assessment process. What are some likely co-morbid conditions? List one nursing diagnosis and an appropriate nursing intervention.
- What interdisciplinary referrals might be appropriate?
posts with substantial details that demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and critical thinking. Remember that your posts must exhibit appropriate writing mechanics including using proper language, cordiality, and proper grammar and punctuation. If you refer to any outside sources or reference materials, be sure to provide proper attribution and/or citation.
Answer:
- Therapeutic communication with the client would involve active listening, empathy, and validation. I would try to establish a therapeutic relationship by creating a safe, non-judgmental, and supportive environment for the client. Cognitive behavioral therapy principles can be used to help the client identify negative thought patterns and beliefs, and develop more accurate and adaptive ways of thinking. I would also encourage the client to participate in activities and interventions aimed at improving self-esteem and interpersonal skills.
- In my assessment process, I would start by conducting a thorough psychiatric evaluation to assess the client’s symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I would also gather information about the client’s medical and psychiatric history, including any past treatments, medications, and hospitalizations. Some likely co-morbid conditions include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse.
- One nursing diagnosis for the client could be “Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements” related to decreased oral intake due to depression and feelings of hopelessness. An appropriate nursing intervention could be to refer the client to a registered dietitian for a nutritional assessment and to provide counseling and education on healthy eating habits.
- Interdisciplinary referrals might include a psychiatrist for medication management, a psychologist for individual therapy, a social worker for family and community support, and a therapist for dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). The client may also benefit from referrals to support groups and community resources for domestic violence survivors. Additionally, if the client reports thoughts of suicide, a referral to a crisis intervention team may be appropriate.
