Family Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder Through Relationship Enhancement Therapy

The American Psychiatric Association’s (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) defines borderline personality disorder (BPD) as a pervasive pattern of instability in selfimage, interpersonal relationships, and mood. The pattern is usually evident by early adulthood and marked by frequent mood shifts, persistent identity disturbance, fluctuating extremes of overidealization and devaluation, fear of abandonment, and many narcissistic features.