Some Aspects of the Phenomenology of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder has received diagnostic respectability with its inclusion in DSM III. Unfortunately, its popularity has outstripped its clarity. It is receiving widespread clinical attention, yet its phenomenology remains unclear. This paper describes a study of brief psychotic and depressive symptoms in inpatients with narrowly defined Borderline Personality Disorder. Almost all the cases present with evidence of brief psychotic symptoms, most common symptoms being the dissociative type (derealisation/depersonalisation); some patients also experience non-drug induced psychotic symptoms mainly hallucinations which are brief and appear only in stressful circumstances. Depressive symptoms are observed in almost all cases at the time of admission but are usually transient; antidepressants are not of much therapeutic value. The brief psychotic and depressive symptoms are described in detail and their diagnostic implications are discussed.