10 Best Books on Borderline Personality Disorder

best books on borderline personality disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is a mental health disorder. When someone is affected by this disorder, their ability to think and feel about themselves and others is hampered. This creates problems in their everyday life. Individuals become concerned about their self-image and find it harder to manage their emotions. Due to their behavior change, they also suffer from unstable relationships with others. We will show you the best books on borderline personality disorder.

Borderline Personality Disorder can show the following symptoms:

  • Intense fear of abandonment or instability
  • Being hard to be alone
  • Inappropriate anger or impulsiveness
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Suicidal threats or self-injurious behavior
  • Unstable relationships have the pattern
What are the causes of borderline personality disorder?

According to several mental health professionals, the actual causes of borderline personality disorder are not fully understood. Researchers have identified some factors that might be the cause of BPD. These include:

Genetically inheritance:

 Several studies of twins and families have suggested that personality disorders can be inherited genetically. This means if your parents or siblings have a similar disorder, then there is a possibility of you suffering from BPD.

Brain abnormalities: 

 Some researchers have suggested that sudden changes in specific brain areas can trigger uncontrolled emotion and impulsivity. Mood regulatory chemicals or hormones, such as serotonin, might not function correctly and can cause a sudden change in feelings.

Traumatic childhood:

 Many case studies have shown that people with BPD were subjected to a stressful or traumatic childhood. They were very prone to physical and sexual abuse. Besides, they also did not get proper love and affection from their parents. Sometimes they might have grown up in families with no stable relationships.

What triggers a person with borderline personality disorder?

Relationship triggers mainly trigger people with a borderline personality disorder. They are susceptible to abandonment. They feel that everyone will reject or criticize them. As a result, they experience intense fear and anger. They also exhibit impulsivity and suicidality. Other BPD triggers include losing a job, remembering negative memories while visiting a particular place, traumatic events, etc.

10 Best Books on Borderline Personality Disorder

Here are some of the best borderline personality books that might help you understand the subject matter in deep:

1. Stop Walking on Eggshells, by Paul T. T. Mason and Randi Kreger

Paul T. Mason is known for his research work on borderline personality disorder. He is the vice president at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Wisconsin. He led the mental health and addiction care service that increased the number of BPD patients services. His research works have also been published in many journals and print media.

Randi Kreger is the co-author of the famous book “Stop Walking on Eggshells,” which has helped millions of people. Her website BPDCentral.com has helped many people with borderline personality disorder. She also works with different support groups that help the family members of BPD-affected people.

Stop Walking on Eggshells is one of the best books on borderline personality disorder. This book has helped many people who have friends and family members suffering from BPD. It allows people to understand BPD and how setting boundaries can help their loved ones. This book includes all the latest research works on BPD. Also, this book provides communication skills that will stabilize the bond between you and the BPD sufferer. You can also read the “stop walking on Eggshells pdf” file from the amazon kindle version.

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2. I Hate You – Don’t Leave Me, by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus

Psychiatrist and author Jerold J. Kreisman has authored many books on borderline personality disorder. He works at St. Louis University as an associate clinical professor. The American Psychiatric Association has nominated him as a Distinguished Life Fellow.

Hal Straus is professional health care and medical writer. He has written articles for famous magazines and journals like Ladies Home Journal, Men’s Health, Redbook, etc. His five books have earned him much fame, but “I Hate You – Don’t Leave Me” is a bestseller.

This book provides essential guidelines for borderline personality disorder. It includes all the latest research on the disorder’s neurobiological, genetic, and developmental roots. The book also explains the link between BPD and substance abuse, sexual abuse, PTSD, ADHD, and eating disorders. This book is as helpful as its previous editions. It is an essential guide for those suffering from BPD and their family members, friends, and colleagues. Also, this book is beneficial for professionals and students to dig deep into the disorder.

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3. Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, by Shari Y. Manning

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderShari Y. Manning founded the South Carolina Centre for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. This clinic offers intensive treatment of DBT for adolescents and adults. She is also the ex-CEO of Behavioural Tech, LLC, and Behavioural Tech Research, Inc. Under the supervision of Manning, many therapists have conducted sessions at the University of Washington and the University of South Carolina. Also, she consults for forensic and criminal justifications.

Borderline personality disorder, or BPD-affected people, can be kind, thoughtful, and humorous. But sometimes, their unpredictable behavior can drive away their loved ones. This book is one of the best books on Borderline Personality Disorder. It best suits those fighting for an unstable relationship with someone having BPD. In this book, Manning explains why BPD affects people without control over their emotions. This book will provide strategies to help you change how you respond to your loved ones with BPD. Also, it teaches you to be empathetic and hopeful, and the scientific facts will help you gradually transform your relationship. This book will help you to quiet the borderline personality disorder test.

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4. The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Workbook, by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderMatthew McKay is a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. He completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. His area of specialization includes cognitive behavioral therapy to fight anxiety and depression. He has penned several books, including “Self-Esteem,” “The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Workbook,” “Thoughts and Feelings,” and “When Anger Hurts.”

Marsha M. Linehan first developed dialectical Behaviour Therapy for the treatment of BPD. But it has also been proven beneficial for other mental health issues. The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Workbook is one of the best books on borderline personality disorder. This workbook provides a complete guideline to improve your ability and control your emotions. The book includes techniques to build distressing tolerance skills, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Also, it contains discussion topics like cognitive rehearsal and self-compassion. This book will help you to cope with the problems caused by BPD.

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5. The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide, by Alex L. Chapman and Kim L. Gratz

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderAlexander L. Chapman is a Ph.D. Professor and Clinical Science Area Coordinator at Simon Fraser University (SFU). He is also a registered psychologist. Currently, he is the President of the DBT Centre of Vancouver. He is the director of the Personality and Emotion Research Laboratory at SFU. In this laboratory, he researches to control emotions in BPD, self-harm, impulsivity, and other behavioral issues. He has published numerous articles related to BPD and other mental health problems.

Kim L. Gratz is a professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo. She is also the head of the Department of Psychology at that university. 2003 Dr. Gratz received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She worked as a Clinical and Research Fellow in the CTBPD at McLean Hospital. Gratz has been awarded numerous awards, including the Young Investigator’s Award of the NEA-BPD and the Mid-Career Investigator Award.

This book is the essential family guide to borderline personality disorder. This survival guide is one of the best personality books.

The book will provide you with all sorts of information that you might want to know about BPD. The first chapter of the book gives you every fine detail regarding BPD. The following chapters discuss different treatments of BPD, such as DBT, MBT, and medication treatments. And in the last section, several strategies will help you cope with your emotions, suicidal thoughts, and other distressing symptoms. The book has also been awarded several awards for outstanding self-help. You can compare the symptoms of famous people with BPD from this book. Also, this book will provide a survival guide on high-functioning borderline personality disorder.

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6. Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder, by Blaise Aguirre MD and Gillian Galen PsyD

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderBlaise Aguirre, MD, is a renowned psychiatrist who works with children and adolescents. He has specialized in DBT and MBT to treat borderline personality disorder. He runs some programs for teenagers that target self-harming behaviors using DBT. The programs also help teenagers showing symptoms of borderline personality disorder. He has authored several books on BPD and other mental disorders as well.

Gillian C. Galen, PsyD, is a senior child and adolescent psychologist. Her area of specialization includes dialectical behavioral therapy or DBT. Her vast experience in this field has helped many teenagers deal with uncontrolled emotions, depression, anxiety, and self-harming behaviors. Dr. Galen uses mindfulness and yoga to treat BPD and other psychiatric disorders. She has penned several books on different psychological disorders.

This book is for you if you suffer from intense and uncontrolled BPD emotions. This book will help you to get over your disturbing thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes, it isn’t easy to treat BPD. But specific ways can control your symptoms and help you live an easy life. This book will provide some skills of dialectical behavior therapy that will help you identify BPD symptoms.

Further, these skills will also enable you to cope with those symptoms. This book can help to manage intense personality disorders with proper meditation. Also, it provides first-hand experiences of people suffering from BPD and some mindfulness exercises.

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7. The Buddha and the Borderline, by Kiera Van Gelder

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderKiera Van Gelder is an educator, artist, and writer. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She attended several institutions, including Groton School and Empire State College. But she never graduated from all those institutions. Gelder is an international mental health activist. She is a living inspiration for those suffering from BPD. She has suffered from BPD and got recovered as well. Her writings have been published in many magazines and journals.

The Buddha and the Borderline is one of the best books on borderline personality disorder. In this book, Gelder talks about her experience with BPD. She tried to commit suicide when she was only twelve. After that, she struggles with drug addiction, depression, self-harm, and post-traumatic stress. She also had a few unsuccessful relationships. After almost twenty years, the doctor diagnosed her with borderline personality disorder.

The book provides insight into how Gelder fought against her fluctuating emotions caused by BPD. The horrific experience describes both the late diagnosis of Gelder and her rousing recovery through therapy. Buddhist spirituality helped her recover from borderline personality disorder’s dark realm. It changed her suffering to a conscious mind to give herself and others a second chance. This book will surely help everyone seeking help for emotional recovery.

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8. Get Me Out of Here, by Rachel Reiland

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderRachel Reilandis an accountant and a writer who lives in the Midwest. She is a mother of three children diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and anorexia at 29. But she managed to deal with her disorders through psychotherapy and spirituality. She wrote the book Get Me Out of Here, describing her horrific experiences of BPD right after she got recovered.

The book uncovers the mysteries of mental illness in front of the readers. It explains the possibilities of treating BPD through the support of dear ones and intensive therapy. Reiland described her experiences when she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She went through a series of emotional outbursts that resulted in anger explosion and manipulative behaviors. She also showed self-destructive behaviors like substance abuse, anorexia, and promiscuity. Reiland got recovered from BPD through a therapeutic and spiritual journey. And this journey changed her life forever. The author invites the readers to go through her fantastic recovery journey and know BPD from its root.

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9. Surviving a Borderline Parent, Kimberlee Roth, Freda B. Friedman, and Randi Kreger

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderKimberlee Roth is a journalist and a professional health writer. She has written many articles on borderline personality disorder and other mental disorders. She also writes on health-related topics and relationships. Her writings have been published in various magazines and journals, including the Chicago Times.

Freda B. Friedman is a Chicago-based clinical social worker specialist. She has 28 years of work experience, especially as a clinical social worker. She provides psychotherapy for adults, couples, and group psychotherapy as well. Friedman mainly deals with individuals and families who have borderline personality disorder. She also works with people who have difficulties in relationships and have gone through different forms of trauma.

Randi Kreger is the co-author of the famous book “Stop Walking on Eggshells” which has helped millions of people. Her website BPDCentral.com has helped many people with borderline personality disorder. Also, she works with different support groups that help the family members of BPD-affected people.

Surviving a Borderline Parent is one of the best BPD books. This book will guide adult children of parents suffering from BPD. Adult children will learn to deal with their BPD parents and grow up with them. Children of a BPD parent generally go through so much pain in their childhood. The book describes BPD parents’ destructive and long-term effects on raising a child. It provides strategies that can be very helpful for children in dealing with everyday issues. These include lower self-esteem, guilt, lack of trust, and hypersensitivity. This book will guide adult children thoroughly and help them to cope with their BPD parents.

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10. Lost in the Mirror, by Rick Moskovitz

Best books on Borderline Personality DisorderRick Moskovitz is a famous psychiatrist who listened to his patients’ stories for many years. He is educated at Harvard University. He became a storyteller after he left practicing as a psychiatrist. Also, he writes fiction, which explores life in an expanding world full of possibilities and psychological consequences. His characters will fight off moral and emotional struggles in a world with environmental delicacies.

A borderline personality disorder is a very misunderstood mental disorder. They are Lost in the Mirror, one of the best books on borderline personality disorder. This book reveals the truth about this disorder and allows readers to go deep inside BPD patients. The book helps the readers understand what it feels like to be borderline personality disorder. The readers get to know the reasons behind their uncontrolled emotions and behaviors. The book also discusses the causes of BPD and uncovers the lasting pain of a BPD patient.

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Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is a very horrific mental disorder. People suffering from this disorder can be a nuisance. Also, this often leads to disturbances in the family. They want others to be close to them, but their mood swings chase people away. Impulsivity can lead to a disastrous situation for the individual’s loved ones if the disorder is not treated correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the symptoms of borderline personality disorder?

Some of the common symptoms of borderline personality disorder include:

  • Intense fear of abandonment
  • Uneven relationship
  • Indistinct self-image
  • Self-destructive behaviors
  • Suicidal tendency
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Inappropriate anger or impulsiveness
  • The feeling of constant suspicion

Q. What is the onset of borderline personality disorder?

Usually, the symptoms of borderline personality disorder start showing in the teenage years and early twenties. But there are exceptions as well. Some adults may start showing signs of BPD after they have crossed thirty. And is some cases, behavioral changes are evident in childhood.

Q. How do you calm down a borderline episode?

You will face specific borderline episodes if you have a borderline personality disorder. You can follow specific ways to cope with your symptoms. These include:

  • Taking a warm shower
  • Playing relaxing music
  • Participating in various physical activities
  • Engaging in brain-storming activities
  • Talking to loved ones
  • Doing creative works like drawing, painting, etc.
  • Trying some mindful exercises
  • Attending a therapy session.

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Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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