Personality disorders are a group of mental diseases characterized by long-repeated patterns of deviating thoughts and behaviors, which become a serious obstacle to work and relationships with others. Science does not know the exact reasons for the appearance of symptoms of these conditions. However, multiple studies have managed to prove that such traumatic experiences as neglect or abuse in childhood are strongly related to the development of these mental illnesses. There are ten major types of these disorders: antisocial, avoidant, borderline, dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal (Robitz, 2018). This paper will research one of the most widespread conditions, borderline personality disorder, which has become material for numerous studies, proving that childhood trauma is one of the main reasons for its development.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by a distorted sense of self, unstable relationships, and uncontrollable emotional reactions. People suffering from this condition often feel social exclusion, which may lead to substance abuse, nutrition disorders, and depression. According to the statistics, 80 percent of people with BPD have self-harm behaviors, and approximately 9 percent commit suicide (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d. para. 11). Numerous studies have shown that experiences of childhood abuse and neglect play a major role in this illness’s nature, generating “severely disorganized attachment relationships, which in turn affect the development of emotional regulation systems” (Uscinska et al., 2018, p. 1). It has also been found that those children who had suffered trauma have more chances to meet the criteria for BPD in adulthood. According to the University of Manchester (2019) research, people with BPD reported physical neglect at 48.9%, emotional abuse at 42.5%, physical abuse at 36.4%, sexual abuse at 32.1%, and emotional neglect at 25.3%. Moreover, it has been found that sexual abuse in childhood increases the risk of suicidal attempts. All of these studies prove that there is a strong connection between childhood trauma and BPD.
In conclusion, negative experiences in childhood have proven to have a strong impact on the future life of the person. Early trauma can become a trigger for serious mental problems, including Borderline Personality Disorder, which was found to be one of the illnesses with the strongest connection to childhood abuse. Numerous studies have shown that such incidents as physical, psychological, and sexual abuse can lead to the appearance of the symptoms of depression and social problems in adult life and increase the risks of suicide attempts.
References
American Psychiatric Association (2018). What are personality disorders? Web.
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Borderline personality disorder. Web.
The University of Manchester. (2019). Borderline Personality Disorder has strongest link to childhood trauma. Web.
Uscinska, M., Gagliano, N., Mattiot, M.P., & Bellino, S. (2018). Borderline personality disorder and childhood trauma: The posited mechanisms of symptoms expression. In A. Starcevic (Ed.), Psychological trauma. IntechOpen.