Depression

Depression is an extremely common psychiatric disorder and affects up to 25% of people at some point during their lifetime. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often initially diagnosed as major depression, and these disorders frequently occur together.

Depression and BPD are both conditions that cause problems in interpersonal relationships as people struggle with mood fluctuations, impulsivity, and painfully distorted judgements about themselves and the world around them.

On the other end of the spectrum, patients with BPD are often misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder or in fact may suffer from both conditions. Both these disorders are associated with severe difficulties regulating intense emotions, and mood swings. The relationship between depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder is complex, but far too important to be ignored.

At OPI Intensive, we treat people with depression in a connected, interpersonal community where the private, internal experiences are given as much weight as a person’s involvement and relationships with others.

Through dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), you will learn and practice new techniques for stabilizing your mood, improving your relationships and solving painful social problems. We use a cognitive focus as well to approach negative, painful judgements about yourself, others, and the future.

We understand the importance of adapting a psychological treatment approach to people with both mood disorders and borderline personality disorder or traits. By emphasizing mindfulness practice, OPI Intensive will help you learn new ways of directing your attention to make more accurate observations of the present.