Experiential Avoidance and Emotion Regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Many of the severe behavioral difficulties observed among persons with BPD (e.g., self-harm, suicidal behaviors) have been
conceptualized as attempts to avoid or escape unwanted emotional experiences. As such, experiential avoidance likely plays
a prominent role in the difficulties faced by persons with BPD. Individuals with BPD have demonstrated heightened levels of
experiential avoidance in several studies. Several key features of BPD may contribute to experiential avoidance among persons
with BPD, including a vulnerability to negative or distressing emotions, difficulty regulating emotions, and distress intolerance. Some research also suggests that a vulnerability to negative emotions among persons with BPD may be partly due to the use
of experiential avoidance strategies to cope with emotional experiences. Within this paper, we review the literature on experiential
avoidance and possible mechanisms underlying experiential avoidance among persons with BPD, and discuss the research and clinical
implications of this literature.