The Mansion of Many Rooms: How Schemas Create BPD

What are cognitive schemas and why are they so conspicuous in Borderline Personality Disorder

Schemas are cognitive patterns of thinking, which we use to organise and understand ourselves and the world around us. These childhood bundles of thoughts, feelings, memories and sensations, in time become rigid substructures in the adult psyche. The human mind is by nature schematic: Rather than having just one schema, it has many. Schemas not only colour our daily life, but in some cases, stop us seeing completely.

The idea is at least 2250 year history. Beginning with the Greek Stoic philosopher Chrysippus who spoke of “inference schemas” in mathmatics, the idea was soon followed up by the 18th century philosopher Immaneul Kant, then the Edwardian Neurologist Henry Head, and finally 20th century psychologists Jean Piaget and Aaron Beck. All in there on way were arguing for the existence of a blueprint in the mind, body or world from which life can structures itself.

Patterns on a Palimpsest

In 1990 American Psychologist, Dr Jeffrey E. Young created Schema Therapy, a revolutionary treatment programme designed to help individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder become healthy adults. For many years schema…