Self-injury and borderline personality disorder

ISSN 1758-2008 10.2217/NPY.10.9 © 2011 Future Medicine Ltd Neuropsychiatry (2011) 1(1), 7–10 Nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSIB) is a severe form of psychopathology, which a psychiatrist or psychotherapist working with patients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) frequently encounters. We have been working with self-injurious patients for many years and have intensively investigated the origin and the neurobiological background of this behavioral pattern. Still, even if one better understands the motives for self-injury and the underlying mechanisms, this behavior does not lose its embarrassing character. Rather, the suffering of self-injurious patients can be a strong driving force that makes us want to understand its origins and mechanisms better to finally optimize treatment options. This article will first give an overview of what we know regarding NSSIB followed by a section on open questions in this domain.