Entwicklungspsychologische Wurzeln der Borderline-Personlichkeitsstörung. Reflective Functioning und Bindung

This paper suggests a way of understanding borderline personality disorder in terms of the failure of secure attachment. Thus, after a brief justification of the relevance of the attachment theory perspective on borderline personality disorder, we will begin with an account of optimal self-development in a secure attachment context, highlighting the importance of the caregiver's ability to help the small child think about his own and others' minds. This is crucial in developing the child's capacity for mentalization, which can enhance his resilience in the face of later trauma. We will then consider ways in which the lack of a secure base can adversely affect the child's development. Finally, we will discuss the impact of attachment trauma, arguing that the extent of this impact depends on the extent to which early attachment relationships have facilitated the capacity for mentalization. It is the persistence of more primitive modes of psychic reality that predate the capacity for mentalization, associated with early psychological neglect, that subsequently makes certain individuals, e.g. borderline patients, particularly vulnerable to harsh social experiences.