Borderline personality and the transitional realm

Pages: 495-498
Abhijatya Dhar (Department of Clinical Psychology, M.Sc. Theoretical Psychoanalytic Studies, Jaipur, Rajasthan)

There is an established clinical co-relation between the use of transitional objects in adulthood and borderline personality disorder which is rarely found in any other personality disorder. The transitional phenomenon as described by Winnicott has a specific place in an infant’s life, bringing about the successful and smooth acknowledgment and acceptance of the reality principle. Winnicott’s work on transitional phenomenon and objects still remains pertinent in understanding the mind of the borderline personality. One of the current models of borderline, the Mentalization Model proposes two psychic modes of functioning for the borderline patient, namely, the “psychic equivalence” mode and the “pretend mode”. The description of these two modes seems reminiscent of the state of mind of an infant in the transitional phase, i.e., where reality and fantasy are not clearly delineated or distinguished and remain fused with each other. This paper explores the possibility of the adult borderline patient still functioning in the transitional realm and relating to others (people) as a transitional object, hence, still employing transitional objects, only in a disguised form.