Question

Charlotte is 19 and very outgoing. She is engaging when individuals meet her, and often they feel as though they know her well after only a short period of time. Unfortunately, Charlotte can be easily disappointed by her friends, and frequently experiences "breaks" in both friendships and romantic relationships. In part, this seems to be due to the pressure she puts on newer friends to be available and her difficulty being on her own. Charlotte also feels very emotional, noting intense feelings that she has difficulty managing and that she responds to at times by engaging in risky behavior to distract herself (skateboarding on busy streets at night).

Provide a possible personality disorder diagnosis and explain your rationale by tying the description to specific criteria. Be sure to also include a statement about what more you would need to know about this individual before you could diagnosis her with a personality disorder.

Answer 1

Charlotte seems to be displaying traits relating to Borderline Personality Disorder. This is because:

1. She shows impairment in interpersonal relationships, as noted by instability in friendships and romantic relationships. There is also compromised empathy on her part as she expects a lot more from her relationships despite not reciprocating the same.

2. She experiences negative affect which are particularly too intense for her to manage.

3. She also shows characteristics of disinhibition by engaging in risky behaviours such as skateboarding in busy streets during the night.

All these behaviours seem to fit in with the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria of Borderline Personality Disorder. However, before completing the diagnosis, it is important to assess issues that pertain to Charlotte’s self functioning, particularly her goal orientation and her identity.