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Paradox as symptom in the borderline patient's struggle for self-differentiation
1Mental Health Center, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Australia.
Topic:
Paradox as symptom in patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Purpose:
To conceptualize the nature of difficulties arising in psychotherapy with patients diagnosed with BPD.
Sources:
Review of the literature and clinical data from the author's work.
Conclusions:
The borderline dilemma is inherently paradoxical and, in some ways, reflects the human condition. Psychoanalytic concepts can further our understanding of the therapeutic difficulties encountered in the struggle to make sense of life's inherent dualities. The borderline patient is acutely sensitive to these dualities, which the therapist must tolerate and understand. Often, a negative therapeutic reaction may impede progress.