Borderline personality disorder: office diagnosis and management

The management of patients with borderline personality disorder may be difficult, because these patients often make disproportionate demands on the physician's time and they tend to experience complicated and/or incomplete recovery from organic or functional illness. Histories of patients with this disorder reveal a host of self-destructive behaviors, often including suicide attempts. The diagnosis of borderline personality disorder can be confirmed using an adaptation of the Diagnostic Interview for Borderline Patients. A neutral, structured environment and a conservative medical approach can facilitate the management of these challenging patients.