A Tormented Mind: Clinical and Theoretical Implications of Overwhelming Life Events

1989 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paddy Burges Watson
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Post Traumatic

A case study illustrates the aim of this paper, which is to discuss the clinical and theoretical implications of adult patients who have experienced extreme or catastrophic stress in their distant past which may not be immediately “recognisable”. A close relationship between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder (as defined in DSM-III-R) is suggested.

Effects of cortisol on memory in women with borderline personality disorder: role of co-morbid post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Wingenfeld ◽  
M. Driessen ◽  
K. Terfehr ◽  
N. Schlosser ◽  
S. Carvalho Fernando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Memory Retrieval ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundStress and cortisol administration are known to have impairing effects on memory retrieval in healthy humans. These effects are reported to be altered in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but they have not yet been investigated in borderline personality disorder (BPD).MethodIn a placebo-controlled cross-over study, 71 women with BPD and 40 healthy controls received either placebo or 10 mg of hydrocortisone orally before undertaking a declarative memory retrieval task (word list learning) and an autobiographical memory test (AMT). A working memory test was also applied.ResultsOverall, opposing effects of cortisol on memory were observed when comparing patients with controls. In controls, cortisol had impairing effects on memory retrieval whereas in BPD patients cortisol had enhancing effects on memory retrieval of words, autobiographical memory and working memory. These effects were most pronounced for specificity of autobiographical memory retrieval. Patients with BPD alone and those with co-morbid PTSD showed this effect. We also found that co-morbid MDD influenced the cortisol effects: in this subgroup (BPD + MDD) the effects of cortisol on memory were absent.ConclusionsThe present results demonstrate beneficial effects of acute cortisol elevations on hippocampal-mediated memory processes in BPD. The absence of these effects in patients with co-morbid MDD suggests that these patients differ from other BPD patients in terms of their sensitivity to glucocorticoids (GCs).

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