ABSTRACT
The relationship between ongoing interpersonal interactions within the family of origin of adult patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the patient's symptoms and behavior patterns is a critical one. An understanding of this relationship opens up new strategies for successful psychotherapy with these patients. The prevalent psychoanalytic view regarding the genesis of BPD behavior is that the family environment has a toxic effect on the development of the young child, which then leads to a developmental arrest. Although superficially somewhat dissimilar, these themes can be conceptualized in an integrated way. All of them relate to the polarized manner in which these parents are involved with their children. The themes reflect either the parents' persistent over-involvement or persistent under-involvement with their child. Benjamin described an interpersonal theory of borderline behavior patterns. She viewed the behavior of the patient with BPD as a response to other people, primarily those within the patient's family of origin and spousal relationships.
