Managing Personality Disorders

We don't all think, behave, and see things in the same way. Our personalities are what make us individual, and are based on things like our experiences growing up and the environment we live in.

Personality disorders are characterised by difficulties in managing intense emotions, and how you think about yourself and others.  

There are different types of personality disorders, one of which includes Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD).

EUPD can be a very broad diagnosis, and a full assessment with us can you give a better idea of your personal difficulties. Many people living with EUPD could experience a number of symptoms such as:

• Having intense emotions that last from a few hours to a few days and can change quickly – such as feeling very happy and confident in the morning and very low and sad in the afternoon
• Not having a strong sense of who you are, which can change depending on who you’re with
• Finding it very hard to make and keep stable relationships
• Feeling worried about people abandoning you
• Acting impulsively and doing things that could cause you harm, such as binge eating, using drugs or driving dangerously
• Experiencing suicidal thoughts or using self harming behaviour to manage your emotions
• Feeling empty and lonely a lot of the time
• Struggling to control you anger
• Feeling paranoid or have psychotic experiences when you’re stressed, like seeing or hearing things other people don’t, or feeling numb and not fully remembering things after they’ve happened

Read more about personality disorders on the NHS website (opens new browser tab)

We can provide you with a specialist assessment to understand whether you have a type of personality disorder, and then provide the right treatment for your needs.

Our service works with our Intensive Management of Personality Disorders and Clinical Therapies Team (IMPACTT) team.

As part of the assessment, we’ll send you a set of questionnaires to complete, either at home or when you come to your appointment.

The questions cover things like your lifestyle and personal habits.

When a slot becomes available, we’ll book your assessment where we’ll ask you about your circumstances and life experiences, and how we can create the right care plan for you.

Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Based on your assessment, we may provide one of two psychological treatments. One is Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) and other is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Both treatments focus on understanding and learning how to manage your emotions and relationships, and we’ll work with you to decide the best option to take.

The length of both treatments depends on many different things, but they are both long term approaches.

Our aim is to make sure you have the support and guidance you need.

Read our guide about MBT (pdf)

Read our guide about DBT (pdf)

If you need support with medication prescriptions, housing and benefit issues, or benefits or employment advice, we can guide you to services that can help with this.

You can be referred to us if you’re aged 18 or over, and you’re being supported  by one of our Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs). They will talk to you about a possible referral to us.  

Find out more about our CMHT service (opens new browser tab)

When you’ve been referred to us we’ll send you an appointment letter. You can reply to us by email or by calling. 

Unfortunately we can't accept self referrals.

You can find our main office and treatment centre in Reading.

Reading

Erlegh House

Whiteknights Campus
University of Reading, Whiteknights Road
RG6 6BZ

Our team is available for contact at the following opening times.

Call 0300 365 8000

Email IMPACTT.Team@berkshire.nhs.uk

For out of hours there is an answer machine for non-urgent messages.

Carer support 

If you need carer support, there are charities and teams across Berkshire you can contact:

Books and guides

You can find more information about personality disorders in the following books, which you may be able to find in local libraries, or you can buy them online.

• Stop walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder, by Kreger Randy and Paul Mason
• The Borderline Personality Disorder: Everything You Need to Know About Living with BPD, by Alex Chapman and Kim Gratz
• I Hate You, Don't Leave Me, by Jerold Kreisman and Hal Straus
• Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: A Family Guide for Healing and Change, by Valerie Porr

Carers’ Awareness Tools & Support (CATS) is group programme.

It's aim is to increase knowledge of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder/ Borderline Personality Disorder and improve communication between family members and the cared for person. 

We work with carers as part of the triangle of care (which is a therapeutic alliance between the service user, our staff and the carer) to promote safety, support recovery and sustain wellbeing. 

Read our Carers’ Awareness Tools & Support (CATS) carer leaflet (pdf)

Our mental health teams and services, including Talking Therapies, are available if you need support. 

Find out how to access mental health support (opens new browser tab)

You can also find resources and guides on our website to help you if you need more advice.  

Resources to help with your mental health wellbeing (opens new browser tab)

Our Neurodiversity Passport can help you communicate your needs to our staff. It covers sensory processing, your communication preferences, and topics that might make you feel anxious and overwhelmed, so that we can support you.   

Read about our neurodiversity passport