psychologists Have a joke: “border guards Day – a professional day for all therapists.” Everyone laughs, everyone knows. But what exactly is meant by “borderline”? Hard to find in psychology more slippery and multifaceted concept. Is that the word “neurotic” (smile). The border situation, borderline personality disorder, border guards, border the client (patient)... – so many different terms with this word. And in the place where shlestyvayutsya psychiatric, psychoanalytic and Gestalt paradigm, all you can drown. So this article will only attempt to concisely describe what is meant by “borderline” in modern clinical Gestalt therapy, and what kind of person can be defined as boundary-organized.
it is Worth mentioning that in Gestalt therapy we are talking about more of the border that we have at all. The degree of severity and integration of the different. This part is responsible for attachment, the ability to survive the contact, closeness, belonging. We can say that the border people – one who suffered greatly at the interface. Metaphorically, this screaming baby, who has grown, but not matured. He did not have sufficient opportunity to form autonomy, due to the lack of a stable adult who could containerwith and process his childhood passions. In other words, such a child was punished for what he is – a child. And to (psychologically) survive, he had to sacrifice his identity, the real me”, for the sake of affection. So now love and intimacy forever associated with the risk of losing itself through the absorption or desertion.
the World of people around him yet frighteningly unpredictable and chaotic, but ways of dealing with a private concern is no longer an infant. In a relationship for the guard are only two strategies: to control himself (his expression, especially “negative”) or to control the other through idealization, the destruction of which is equal to the destruction of relationships. Fear of rejection is the axis, on which are strung all the behavior of border people. He does everything to avoid that experience, but always stumbles on it, because of their perception of reality.
People with a borderline structure constantly fly in the idealized relationship in a desperate attempt to gain recognition and support, but are not able to withstand the other person in all its complexity into and ambivalence. The dialogue is too difficult and inaccessible for them as there is no sufficient experience of “conversion” of emotional affects into the symbolic fabric of the relationship. Because of the large difference in the conceptual field are to some extent marginalized; to find a common language with people, it turns out the same structure. Feelings of helplessness and vulnerability that they may experience in contact to compensate for the manipulation, although it usually remains outside of awareness.
the Edge dynamics is one of the most difficult for the therapy. This is probably the most unpleasant category of clients (patients), even working with the “psychotic” can bring more satisfaction. Edge client is difficult to feel competent and successful therapist. At least for a long time... So the client must wager the split part of the parent object is “good” and “bad” mother at a time, from the “only person who understands me” to “someone who rejected me, betrayed, re-traumatized, disappointed...” and so on, in the context of the case.
Much of the border customers do not stand almost no frustration, and months go only to help them formulate realistic therapeutic request. They, like anyone, need psychological help, but the scale of destruction of identity is so serious that it is simply impossible to provide it. Bringing a metaphor invented by someone from colleagues describing the therapeutic process. If neurotic fetches the “faulty machine” on-tekhservis, and you, with it, restoring it, then guard the same time, leaving only to notice that the car is broken. And that's a good prognosis.
of Course, the depth of the violations (pogranichnoe) may be different; the more safe the client, the faster and more likely to “breed” it to a neurotic level of Ego function can be strengthened, “observing Ego” can be formed.
At the border of the client the function of Ego is lost (or difficult to manage), while the function Id is a powerful and excited. So the choice, as such, is not accomplished, but rather people can not behave in a particular way. Impulsivity is known to the border guards due to the fact that Personality is a function of the polar (black or white), and also poorly recognized and differencial excitement. Judgments flattened, subjectively meaningful and emotionally charged, taken out of context, they tend to over-generalizations (to be able to squeeze a multifaceted reality in its paradigm). Due to the fact that the functioning Self is difficult, frontier customers are poorly, or not at all learned. They repeat the same mistakes from time to time experiencing rage and despair.
self “I” always drawn into the fight, blurry and stressful. A man lives hysterically, bursting strong, aambulance feelings, it is easy to hurt to death, and he is not aware of his own aggression. They are well tested reality (unlike those suffering from psychosis), super-sensitive to the field, accurately read the emotions and moods of people. The only thing they cannot see is your own pathology. Typically, they are all satisfied, but a lot of claims to others. Often in therapy come with the filing of loved ones, or under the pressure of life's circumstances.
People with a borderline structure, at first glance, in many ways similar to travmatik, recall dependent, they are also sometimes confused with schizoid (especially in the phase of separation). But in fact, it's all very different categories. The level of integration (safety) the guards closest to the daffodils. Here are the main features of the borderline personality:
1) porous borders and internal disintegration (imagery, magicnet, global perception);
2) Diffuse identity; it is very difficult to describe yourself, describe yourself (and others too) either globally, or dry, formulaic (“normal”, “normal woman”, etc.);
3) the Use of immature and aggressive defense (idealization-devaluation, splitting, projection), quickly affectious;
4) The limited ability to observe their processes (“observing Ego” is absent);
5) Counter-transference is always powerful; feelings for him can vary from deep sympathy to the strong anger, fear, hopelessness, or sexual desire.
the Main theme around which the entire life of such a personality it is separation. Fear of abandonment/fear of absorption – that's a hell of a swing man with the border structure. Dyadic relationships are loaded (mostly cleaved) affects two-year-old child when “Mama, I am!” and “Mama, where are you?!”, jumbled, crumpled and filled with fear, guilt and shame. Because the violations happened in thedeposit period, the third in a relationship they cannot stand. He just does not fit there, the guard may be in contact with only one person.
Borderline personality life solves the problems with the parent figure. Mom is alive always. The alarm of the border – it the separation character and it is often taken for love. Often hate the object of attachment because the other fills the gaps in borders, becomes part of the individual. Hence the dependence and lack of freedom in circulation with the object of love. The strong passion, with questions of life and death in the literal sense of the word, can only guards.
It is incredibly difficult to survive, to withstand the stress of uncertainty; they are overwhelmed by jealousy, fear of rejection, fear of dissolving in the other... But the loneliness even more unbearable. The guard is always in some respects, but unlike dependent personality aggressive enough. Not recognizing their own destructiveness, he projects it outward, and if the environment is tough enough, you can easily change the role of victim to the role of the Punisher. These clients often create intense struggle in the relationship with the therapist, so as to be able to break away from him.
Features therapy borderline clients require a separate, extensive texts. I can only say that if more or less long-term therapy still happens (the guard is held in Alliance), each case is unforgettable. Once did my supervisor: “Yeah, them hard. But I agree, these are the clients that make us therapists!”