1. Antidepressants are Routine
One of the difficulties in treating borderline personality disorder is that patients usually have other disorders, such as depression, anorexia or anxiety. To further complicate matters, they may have only the symptom of the disorder and not the disorder itself. Doctors prescribe antidepressant medication to alleviate some of the symptoms, which then allows them to start treating the actual borderline symptoms.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac, can reduce mood swings and depression. In addition, SSRIs also may help patients control their self-destructive impulses. However, don't expect results overnight. Borderline patients typically must wait three months for the antidepressants to take effect, although individual body chemistry may lengthen or shorten that period.
2. Antipsychotic Drugs Pose Risks
Doctors can use anti-psychotic medication to treat the more severe symptoms of the other disorders that may present with borderline personality disorder and some symptoms of borderline disorder itself. This medication can reduce the distorted perceptions and beliefs associated with borderline personality disorder. Symptoms such as feelings of abandonment, black and white thinking and feelings of worthlessness can be treated by anti-psychotics, allowing therapists to focus on the core problems of the disorder.
3. Watch out for Side Effects
SSRI antidepressants can cause nausea, headaches and erectile dysfunction. In rare cases, they can even lead to suicidal or homicidal behavior. Antipsychotics have even more severe physical side effects. Weight gain with resulting diabetes is common, as is an inability to sit still or the compulsion to constantly move some part of their body. You may also be more susceptible to seizures. The side effects can be more or less severe depending on the individual. Anyone taking these medications should report side effects as soon as they appear.
