Emotional hyper-reactivity in borderline personality disorder.

Abstract

According to clinical experience, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and authorities in the field, patients with borderline personality disorder tend to be hyper-reactive to environmental stimuli. In addition to the preceding clinical impressions and experiences, the majority of empirical studies in this area have concluded that patients with borderline personality disorder are indeed hyper-responsive to experimental environmental stimuli, whether the stimuli are negative, positive, or even neutral or ambiguous. While two empirical studies did not find hyper-responsiveness, both were undertaken in inpatients with borderline personality disorder, and the potential for emotional blunting from psychotropic medications may have been a potential confound. These findings have several clinical implications in both mental health and primary care settings.