Which defense mechanism is commonly used by patients with borderline personality disorder?

Patients with borderline personality disorder frequently exhibit the defense mechanism known as splitting. This mechanism involves viewing people, situations, or even oneself in extreme, black-and-white terms. Essentially, individuals may oscillate between idealizing someone and devaluing them, leading to intense emotional responses and unstable relationships. This reflects the fundamental instability in emotions and self-image that characterizes the disorder.

Splitting serves as a way for patients to cope with the overwhelming emotions associated with their experiences and relationships. It simplifies complex feelings, creating a dichotomy that makes it easier for them to navigate their emotional landscape, albeit at the cost of maintaining stable relationships and a cohesive self-image.

In contrast, projection involves attributing one’s own unwanted feelings or thoughts onto someone else, denial is the refusal to accept reality or facts, and displacement involves transferring emotional reactions from one person or object to another. While these mechanisms can occur in a variety of contexts and may be observed in various disorders, they are not as distinctive or prevalent in borderline personality disorder as splitting is.