Clearview Women’s Center is a residential treatment program that specializes in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The center, located in Venice Beach, Calif., is the premier program on the West Coast for BPD treatment. 
When Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) was first being diagnosed, it was thought of as a disorder that didn’t fit into the category of a neurotic or psychotic personality. People who were diagnosed as having BPD were considered to be on the “borderline” between neurosis and psychosis.
Through research, it has been discovered that BPD is a distinct disorder with its own set of complex symptoms. The primary symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder include intense emotional experiences and instability in relationships and behaviors.
Now that more is known about BPD, there has been a recent movement in the therapeutic community to rename the disorder to something more accurate. Thomas R. Insel, MD, director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is one of the experts calling for a reexamination of the name Borderline Personality Disorder. He discusses the label of BPD and the outlook for treating the disorder in a recent blog posting.
Alternative Names for BPD
Recent surveys of clinicians and patients provided the following names as possible suggestions when renaming Borderline Personality Disorder:
- Emotional Regulation Disorder
- Emotional Dysregulation Disorder
- Emotional Intensity Disorder
- Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder
- Impulsive Personality Disorder
- Impulsive-Emotional Dysregulation Disorder
- Emotionally Impulsive Personality Disorder
Of those, Emotional Regulation Disorder was the most popular among clinicians and Emotional Intensity Disorder the most popular among patients. The latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-V, has proposed the name Borderline Type.
What do you think about a new name for Borderline Personality Disorder? What would you recommend?
“Borderline Type” is no more descriptive than borderline personality disorder. Might as well keep it as BPD as make that meaningless change. Both Emotional Intensity Disorder and Emotion Regulation Disorder are more descriptive of what it really is. Of the two, EID is probably the more descriptive, so I vote for that one.
Based on what I have been reading about BPD, it is a wonder they don’t recode it on Axis I.
I agree, Emotional Intensity Disorder seems to be the best choice for sure..feel like I can connect to it more. I would be so heartbroken if I had to tell people I had Emotionally Unstable personality disorder…That should be a definite 100% No!!
When I was diagnosed my clinician called BPD, “Emotional intensity disorder” she said it was a better discriptive title and I agree. When I try and explain it to people they always comment that the name should be changed, funny when you think about it.
Impulse Regulation Disorder.
Must be a name that does not make sufferers feel ashamed.
my doctors diagnosed me with ‘emotionally unstable personality disorder’ which i absolutely hate. even though i know i fit the criteria, that name just sounds horrible. i would say that Emotional Regulation Disorder or Emotional Intensity Disorder sound the best.
I think emotional dysregulation/regulation disorder is more descriptive of what it really is, without adding more confusion & stigma
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The name BPD suggests all sorts of crazy things like I am on the borderline of being a normal/ subnormal person, on the borderline of being aceceptable/unacceptable… the lsit goes on. I could live Emotional Intensity Disorder much easier but I suspect people still wouldn’t have any idea what the hell it is. But… I’m glad a name change is being considered.
The name Emotional Regulation Disorder seems less stigmatizing. I totally agree with Cate as to how the term Borderline is perceived. I so hope they change the name soon!
Anyone suffering from mental or emotional issues needs more understanding and less stigma if these problems are to be resolved.
I don’t think it is a real impact one way or the other and people are very in the dark to as to the meaning of either.
I hate all of the names. All of them make me feel ashamed and bad about myself. Might as well call it “F–ked Up Personality Disorder.” I would definitely rather be called “Borderline” than to be called “emotional” or “impulsive” anything! But I know that I don’t get a choice in the matter, and that people with degrees are going to change the name to something which makes me feel even worse about myself than I already do.
I don’t like the idea of being called “emotionally unstable.” We deal with enough stigma already, for having a mental health issue, that most people really do not understand. After all the research that has now been done on BPD, I think it just needs to be brought into the light and the public needs educating about “personality” disorders, as so many others suffer too. They have now proven through brain imaging techniques that the emotion regulation control in our brains does not work properly, and that the part that deals with emotions is broken as well. So maybe a name involving the part of the brain that is not working properly. Truly, as a sufferer of this illness for over 30 years, I don’t care what they call it, as long as they continue to work towards ways that will help free us from these prisons we build for ourselves and can’t get out of. To all other sufferers: may you find some peace and may there be a light at the end of the tunnel for us all. xxx