Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder characterized by unstable moods, behaviours, and relationships. The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) categorizes BPD as a class of mental health disorders defined by long-standing, rigid patterns of behaviour which causes issues with interpersonal relationships and, in many cases, work disability.
In Canada, it is estimated that 1% of the population suffers from BPD. People with BPD often experience intense anger, depression, and anxiety that can last for several days or weeks. These episodes may be triggered by seemingly small things, such as a friend not calling when they said they would or a change in plans, but end up causing great distress and chaos in the person’s life.
BPD can make it very difficult to function in day-to-day life, and people with the disorder often have a hard time keeping a job or maintaining relationships.
If you have BPD and have been denied long-term disability insurance, you may be feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. These individuals with BPD often have difficulty keeping jobs and maintaining stable relationships. These behaviours make it challenging for people with BPD to maintain personal relationships and difficult for those who suffer from it to maintain stable employment. For individuals with BPD, maintaining employment is essential to their recovery and stability. Loss of employment can trigger a relapse into old patterns of behaviour. It can also lead to financial instability and an increased risk of suicide.
Remember, if you have been denied your long-term disability benefits you have the right to your own long-term disability lawyer. Lalande Disability Lawyers have been representing disability claimants for decades and have the experience you need to help overturn your disability benefit denial. Call us today at 1-844-434-7224 for your FREE CONSULTATION or alternatively, send us a message through our website and we will be happy to get right back to you and schedule your FREE CONSULTATION and explain your legal rights to you, and what remedy you may be entitled to. Remember – if we work together, we will NEVER ask for money upfront, under any circumstances. Our depression disability lawyers only get paid – if you get paid.
The exact cause of borderline personality disorder is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. People with BPD often have a family history of mental illness, and research suggests that there may be a genetic predisposition for the disorder. Borderline personality disorder is also more common in people who have experienced trauma or abuse in childhood. It is thought that these experiences may cause changes in the brain that lead to the development of BPD:
Genetics: as with other mental health disorders, having a family history of BPD or mental health issues that result in impulse control or emotional instability may increase your risk of developing the disorder. In the case of BPD, it’s believed that individuals have a 52-68% chance of inheriting the genes linked to developing BPD from family members. Having an immediate family member who has BPD raises your chances of developing BPD yourself significantly.
Unbalanced chemicals: neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that help regulate mood and behaviour. Studies have shown that people with BPD have abnormalities in the levels of certain neurotransmitters and suggest that the development of BPD may be linked to an imbalance of the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine, chemicals that are responsible for mood. An imbalance of these chemicals could lead to the impulsive behaviour and emotional instability characteristic of BPD.
Brain changes: changes in the structure and function of the brain have been linked to borderline personality disorder. Research suggests that the parts of the brain most affected are those involved in regulating emotions and impulses, such as the amygdala (which helps with regulating negative emotions such as fear and aggression), the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for regulating behaviour and self-control) and the orbitofrontal cortex (responsible for planning and making decisions). Scans of individuals with BPD indicated that these areas of the brain are smaller than average, which could be the results of a number of factors, including genetic disposition and exposure to trauma or abuse during development.
Childhood trauma or abuse: Borderline personality disorder is also more common in people who have experienced trauma or abuse in childhood. Early traumatic experiences or abusive relationships can lead to changes in the brain through a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity, in short, is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experience. It is thought that exposure to trauma or abuse early in life may cause changes in the way the brain develops, which can lead to the development of borderline personality disorder. This can cause the brain to develop differently to different stimuli; in individuals who have a healthy childhood, this can lead to a more well-rounded development, but in those who experience abuse or trauma, this can lead to an oversensitivity to certain stimuli and an inability to cope with emotions, which may lead to mental health disorders like BPD.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex and often misunderstood mental health condition. Individuals with BPD experience a wide range of symptoms, and the intensity and frequency of these symptoms can vary significantly. The following are some characteristic symptoms and features of BPD:
Impulsive behaviour: These can include things that are potentially self-damaging, such as excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, or binge eating.
Unstable interpersonal relationships: struggling to maintain healthy and stable relationships with friends, family members, and romantic partners .Relationships might alternate between extremes of idealization (“I’m so in love”) and devaluation (“I hate her”). This can be directed toward family, friends, and loved ones.
Emotional instability: experiencing intense emotions that fluctuate rapidly over short periods of time, known as dysphoric mood states, which can last from a few hours to a few days on end.
Unstable self-image or sense of self: Rapid changes in self-identity and self-worth can occur. They may view themselves as evil or bad, and sometimes may feel as if they don’t exist at all.
Suicidal behaviour: This includes suicidal threats or behavior, and self-harming actions like cutting.
Intense feelings of emptiness: feeling disconnected from oneself and others, often accompanied by feelings of loneliness, despair, and helplessness.
Recurrent suicidal threats or gestures: making threats or attempts to hurt oneself, either verbally or physically.
Difficulty managing anger: having difficulty controlling angry outbursts, which can lead to violent behaviour or destruction of property.
Abnormally heightened fear of abandonment: will take drastic steps to avoid being isolated or abandoned, whether real or imagined.
Chronic Feelings of Emptiness: Individuals with BPD may feel like there’s a void or emptiness inside them.
Explosive Anger: They may have difficulty controlling their anger and can have severe temper outbursts.
Feeling Suspicious or Out of Touch with Reality: This can manifest as paranoia (believing others are out to get them) or dissociation (feeling numb or detached from oneself).
Sensitivity to Environmental Changes: Even minor changes can result in extreme reactions in individuals with BPD. They might become extremely upset or distraught in situations that seem relatively benign to others.
The first usage of the term “borderline” in reference to the condition that is now called BPD was made by Adolf Stern in 1938. His original definition of a “borderline” personality has since been expanded, disputed and added to by successive generations of researchers, which has given rise to various categorizations that help practitioners to better diagnose and treat BPD.
American psychologist Theodore Millon consolidated one of the most widely accepted models of BPD. Millon’s model identifies four types of borderline personality disorder. In addition to Millon, other researchers who have theorized about different types of BPD include Marsha Linehan, who formulated her own Dialectical Behaviour Therapy model and R.D. Laing, who proposed a “double bind” theory of Borderline Personality:
Petulant BPD: people with this type of BPD tend to have a very unstable mood and can swing from one extreme emotion to another very quickly. They may also have difficulty regulating their emotions, leading to impulsive behaviour and frequent, sudden mood changes, which can be intense and last for anywhere from a few hours or days. They may swing from one extreme to the other, idealising someone one minute and then devaluing them the next. This can make it difficult for them to maintain healthy and long-term relationships. Seemingly minor events can trigger individuals with BPD and are often disproportionate to the event itself. People with BPD may also experience chronic feelings of emptiness or boredom.
Discouraged BPD: people with anxious BPD tend to be very anxious and worried, and may find it difficult to cope with uncertainty. They may also have a fear of abandonment and may go to great lengths to avoid being alone. They may also be very sensitive to criticism and rejection, and can become overwhelmed by the fear of being abandoned or rejected. People with this form of BPD are susceptible to self-harm and suicidal behaviour in an attempt to control their feelings and emotions.
Impulsive BPD: people with impulsive BPD tend to be very impulsive and may act on impulse without thinking about the consequences. They may also be very sensation-seeking and may take part in risky behaviour such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, driving recklessly, or binge eating. They may also be prone to addictions, such as drug or alcohol abuse, and may engage in self-harming behaviour.
Self-destructive BPD: people with aggressive BPD tend to be very aggressive and may have a history of violence. They may also be very quick to anger and may lash out at others without provocation. They may also sabotage relationships and be very destructive, both to themselves and to others. People with this type of BPD may struggle with long-term disability insurance claims, as the insurance companies may consider their behaviour to be too unpredictable or volatile.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental illness characterized by instability in moods, impulsivity, poor self-image, and difficulty with interpersonal relationships. People with BPD often have a history of trauma or abuse and may also suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders. The symptoms of BPD can make it very difficult to maintain employment and interfere with a person’s ability to work, depending on the severity and manifestation of the symptoms. Here’s how BPD might impact work performance and relationships:
Due to the pervasive and debilitating nature of some of BPD’s symptoms, individuals with BPD might find it challenging to maintain consistent employment or be completely unable to work and therefore may be eligible for long-term disability benefits.
Long-term disability benefits are typically designed to provide financial support to individuals who, due to a chronic illness or injury cannot work for an extended period – if not permanently. The process to qualify usually requires extensive documentation, including medical records and physician testimonies that detail the severity of the disorder and its impact on the individual’s capacity to work. By recognizing BPD as a condition that can impair one’s ability to maintain gainful employment, long-term disability benefits offer a safety net for affected individuals, allowing them to focus on treatment and recovery.
Long-term disability (LTD) insurance is a type of insurance that provides financial assistance to people who are unable to work because of an illness or injury. LTD benefits can replace a portion of your income and help you cover the costs of living, such as rent, groceries, and utilities. To be eligible for LTD benefits, you must have a policy through your employer or an individual plan. You will also need to provide medical documentation from a qualified health care professional proving that you cannot work.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and other mental health disorders are, unfortunately subject to a higher rate of denials than physical illnesses and injuries. In Canada, statistically, disability insurers deny mental health claims at a rate of over 40%. In addition, disability insurers often require extensive medical evidence to prove that an individual is disabled due to their mental health condition.
Common reasons for denials of borderline personality disorder (BPD) relate to mistakes made by the claimants, who may be afflicted by their condition and the experience of disability insurance companies who are savvy and profit-focused.
Incorrect or lacking medical documentation: Disability insurance companies require medical documentation from a qualified health care professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist to prove that you are disabled due to your condition. It is essential to have the correct medical forms and provide detailed information about your condition for a successful claim. Missing a piece of information or submitting information that is incorrect can lead to your claim being denied.
Inadequate communication with disability insurance companies: To have a successful claim, it is important to keep in contact with the disability insurance company throughout the process and provide them with any additional information they may require. It is also important to respond promptly to any queries from the disability insurance company in order for your claim to be processed quickly and efficiently.
Not meeting the definition of “total disability”: For the purposes of disability insurance claims, “total disability” is defined by most disability insurance companies as the inability to perform the key duties of the occupation or position for which someone has experience and training. The challenge with disability insurance claims for mental health disorders like BPD is that claimants often have difficulty proving that they are unable to perform the duties of their occupation. In their efforts to disprove total disability, disability insurance companies have gone as far as to enlist the services of investigators who look for evidence on social media of activities that demonstrate that a claimant is not totally disabled.
Unfortunately, individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder are often denied long-term disability insurance because Borderline Personality Disorder is considered a “mental disorder” and not a physical illness. Even if an individual can prove that their symptoms prevent them from being able to work, they may still be denied disability benefits. For claimants with BPD, it can be a frustrating experience and leave them feeling hopeless.
Denied Long-term disability and Suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder?
If your disability claim has been wrongfully denied for Borderline Personality Disorder, it is important to seek professional help from Lalande Disability Lawyers. Our experienced disability lawyers can review your case and help provide advice on how best to pursue your disability claim.
Our Long-Term Disability Lawyers understand the complexities behind BPD and how it can affect someone’s ability to work, and we will fight for your rights to the benefits that you deserve. Don’t let a denied claim stop you from getting the help that you need and contact us today to start working towards receiving your long-term disability benefits.
If you or a loved one suffers from BPD, and has been denied long-term disability insurance benefits, contact our Disability Lawyers today. We are here to help you secure the disability benefits you deserve so that you can focus on your recovery without added financial burdens. Our experienced BPD lawyers have successfully represented thousands of clients, and we look forward to helping you. Reach out today and see how our BPD Disability Lawyers at Camporese Lalande Disability Lawyers can help you with your claim. We are based in Hamilton and serve claimants Nationwide.
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Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health condition characterized by unstable relationships, fluctuating self-image, intense emotions, and impulsive behaviors, often leading to challenges in daily life and work.
Yes, individuals with severe BPD symptoms that impair their ability to work consistently may be eligible for long-term disability benefits, depending on the criteria set by their country or insurance provider.
Applying usually involves submitting and application, medical documentation, a personal statement and an attending physician’s statement demonstrating the severity of BPD and its impact on your work capacity.
Severity is often assessed through a combination of medical evaluations, psychiatric reviews, and a detailed analysis of the individual’s daily functional limitations.
The duration varies based on the individual’s progress, policy terms, and periodic reviews. Some may receive benefits for a few years, while others might qualify for longer periods or until retirement age.
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