TMS Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

This article will explain what borderline personality disorder is, and it will explore bpd symptoms. It will discuss what TMS treatment is and how it helps BPD sufferers. This article will also outline borderline personality traits, and it will also explain what people can do in terms of getting a diagnosis and treatment if they think that they or someone they know might have borderline personality disorder.

What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that causes significant issues with a person’s moods, as well as how they interact with other people. This form of mental illness can drastically affect how sufferers live their day-to-day lives, and it can cause them to have unstable relationships. As well, it can affect how they feel about themselves, and much more.

BPD Misdiagnosis

It is common for BPD to be initially misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed since it tends to be present along with other mental health conditions in the patient (e.g., anxiety or depression).

Moreover, another reason why psychiatrists may initially misdiagnose a person who has BPD is that they might unintentionally confuse the person’s symptoms as being consistent with other conditions, such as bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder. In addition, BPD often occurs alongside other mental health disorders, and this is also another reason why doctors might misdiagnose patients.

BPD Symptoms

Symptoms of BPD can begin to materialize in early adulthood and may include impulsive or reckless behavior, a lack of stability within relationships (and perhaps also intensity within them too), unstable emotions, mood swings, and distortions within a person’s perception and their cognitive functions.

Due to how BPD causes people to experience emotional instability, a lack of cognitive control, and difficulty controlling mood swings, it is also not uncommon for people with BPD to engage in self-harming behavior. In fact, many studies have reported that BPD sufferers are at a high risk of self-harm, or at risk of potentially having suicidal thoughts.

These thoughts would be related to their depressive feelings and might be quite erratic in terms of frequency, as is consistent with the condition itself. Some people suffering from BPD might turn to substance abuse as a way of helping them cope with their depression and other symptoms. This of course can lead to drug addiction and the problems associated with being addicted to other drugs.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy

What Is TMS Therapy?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a form of non-invasive treatment for BPD patients. TMS treatment involves the use of magnetic fields (or magnetic pulses) which are used to help stimulate the nerve cells within a patient’s brain. This treatment is used to address the symptoms of severe depression that BPD patients may experience.

TMS therapy can help people to learn how to cope better with the things that cause them stress (their stressors) and which exacerbate the symptoms of their BPD. This therapy also assists them in effectively managing their negative emotions, which helps them to improve their social abilities and potentially enables them to improve their interpersonal relationships. This results in them generally having much healthier relationships as a result.

Since this form of treatment involves the use of magnetic pulses in a repetitive manner, it may also be referred to as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Read more: Is TMS Therapy safe?

How Does TMS Treatment Work?

TMS treatment involves placing an electromagnetic coil on the scalp, specifically someplace near the forehead, typically where the prefrontal cortex is. From there, magnetic pulses are then produced via the electromagnet. The pulses do not hurt the patient, and instead, they stimulate the nerve cells within the brain that are associated with depression and controlling moods.

In general, this form of treatment is also expected to reanimate or activate the prefrontal cortex area of the brain, where there may have been a decrease in activity as a result of depression. TMS is typically used for treating depression where other forms of depression treatment have not been as effective.

When TMS Is Ineffective For Treating Depression

It’s important to mention that some patients may suffer from treatment-resistant depression, also known as refractory depression (TRD). This means that treatment options such as tms might not be effective for helping people overcome their depressive symptoms, and therefore, other forms of treatment and drugs might be necessary instead.

Alternative Treatment Options

For instance, some patients might find alternative forms of medications like mood stabilizers or antidepressants to be potentially more effective in helping them to manage the more depressive symptoms of their BPD.

For other patients, talk therapy treatment options such as dialectical behavioral therapy might be a more suitable option, as they might find that by talking to someone about their feelings, they are better able to understand how they feel. They might learn how to build coping mechanisms which can help them to overcome their feelings of depression.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a type of therapy that involves performing a medical procedure wherein the doctor will produce tiny electrical currents that will pass through the patient’s brain region, for the purpose of triggering a seizure on purpose.

The reason this is done is that ECT has been found to alter people’s brain chemistry, which in turn can rapidly reverse the symptoms that people might be experiencing from certain mental health conditions they might be suffering from.

TMS vs ECT

While ECT has been proven to be an effective form of treatment for severe depression in people suffering from borderline personality disorder, there is also scientific evidence that suggests that this form of therapy is not as effective for treating depression in comorbid BPD.

Moreover, in various studies, TMS therapy has been shown to be a more effective treatment option than ECT for treating depression in patients who have comorbid borderline personality disorder.

The Previously Negative Reputation For ECT Therapy

Historically, ECT had a bad reputation because many patients who received it did not receive any anesthesia during treatment. They not only felt intense pain during the procedure, but they also experienced a loss of memory, broken or fractured bones, and a range of other side effects.

ECT is considered to be a safe form of treatment today, as it will be given in a secure, controlled environment, where patients are given anesthesia and monitored properly throughout the process, to ensure that no harm comes to the patients.

Where to Seek TMS Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

The different forms of BPD treatment discussed in this article can be provided at Gia Miami. With their experienced and capable staff, BPD patients will feel most comfortable having their treatment take place there.

Known for its excellent TMS treatment programs, Gia Miami provides its patients with individualized treatment plans based upon state-0f-the-art research and technology.

Read more: TMS Therapy side effects

Other Forms Of Therapy For BPD

As mentioned earlier, talk therapy options are also available as a form of treatment for BPD patients. Gia Miami can provide patients with therapy options such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and general counseling might be effective treatment options in terms of helping them to build confidence in themselves, helping them to build coping mechanisms that they can use to address their depression, how they approach relationships, and how they generally feel about themselves.

If you or a loved one is struggling with BPD, call Gia Miami today to discuss treatment possibilities.