Is there a right way to interact with patients who have borderline personality disorder?
Patients with borderline personality disorder are sensitive to the emotional attention paid to them by others, especially health care workers. Utilizing praise to positively reinforce even small progress while ignoring maladaptive behaviors is the most useful technique. Confrontation should be reserved for the most inappropriate actions. In these circumstances, emphasis should be placed on the potential immediate benefits to be gained or negative outcomes to be avoided if the patient engages in alternative behaviors.
