PSF Response

Tala

Conflict resolution with people suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) necessitates a nuanced application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) concepts. DBT forms a collaborative strategy that deviates from traditional power dynamics by emphasizing the balance between acceptance and transformation. The emphasis on emotional regulation and distress tolerance corresponds to the awareness that emotional dysregulation frequently promotes conflict in BPD circumstances. Negotiation and interpersonal communication are refined in DBT through interpersonal effectiveness skills, which promote clear communication, assertiveness, and empathy. While influence and persuasion are not explicitly stated, DBT’s nonjudgmental posture and active listening aid in effective communication.BPD’s particular conflict resolution issues include increased emotional intensity, fear of abandonment, impulsivity, and black-and-white thinking. Fear of abandonment and impulsivity can lead to protective or escalatory behaviors, while emotional dysregulation might inhibit logical problem-solving. Finding middle-ground solutions may be hampered by black-and-white thinking.

Integrating DBT techniques is critical for overcoming these barriers. A supportive environment is created by encouraging emotional affirmation and empathy. Structured communication rules aid in conflict resolution by encouraging the calm sharing of demands and concerns. A long-term perspective that emphasizes commitment and collaborative problem-solving helps to keep relationships stable. In essence, the concept entails a patient, empathic approach that employs DBT principles without the need for clinical competence. Patience, affirmation, and regular use of DBT techniques provide an environment favorable to effective conflict resolution in BPD-affected relationships, with an emphasis on understanding rather than “fixing” the individual (O’Leary et al., 2023).

Refrences

O’Leary, A. M., Landers, A. L., & Jackson, J. B. (2023). “I’m fighting with BPD instead of my partner”: A dyadic interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of couples navigating borderline personality disorder. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12669