Victoria Wallace, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Psychology
My research objective was to examine individuals with Borderline
Personality Disorder and how they act and maintain familial, friendship,
romantic, and occupational relationships. In essence, family relationships
would often face high amounts of stress and emotional pain due to the
individual with BPD's symptoms. Friendships are likely to be unstable, with
periodic conflict and problems setting and respecting one's boundaries.
Romantic relationships are rooted with insecurity, recurring arguments, and
attachment problems. In the workplace, people with BPD may struggle with facing
stigma, handling tasks, meeting performance expectations, and managing tense
relationships with coworkers and bosses. Effective treatment requires
understanding these relational struggles and using encompassing support
systems, like family education and workplace interventions, to improve
emotional regulation and communication.
What motivated me the most in writing and exploring BPD and
its relational dynamics is mainly because of my family. One of my closest
cousins, who is like another sister to me, had been diagnosed with Borderline
Personality Disorder about ten years back. Growing up, I always wondered why my
cousin would bicker, argue, and yell so much with almost every person she met,
as well as witness the impulsive behaviors and instability within her
friendships, relationships, and interactions with public acquaintances like
cashiers. After researching this field, I now see and empathize with my cousin
on a different level of understanding.
I personally thought that the capstone project would be
simple, as if it were any 12-page paper that had to be written for a course,
but the more I sat down to work on my project, the more difficult it became. It
was challenging to articulate my words into what I wanted my paper to say, but upon
reflection, I feel that I put my best foot forward and dedicated much time into
creating and perfecting my paper.
Throughout this capstone experience, not only have I learned
how to compose a graduate-level paper, but I also learned the value of time,
effort and dedication. Some days I would come home from work and go right on to
school whether online or in person, and get to work on my capstone, because I
felt a sense of urgency to complete it in a timely manner, as well as
dedication to seeing the project through to the end. Being able to balance
working full time, attending class and completing classwork and assignments,
and the requirements of this capstone required strong time management and
perseverance. The experience taught me the importance of pushing through and
staying committed to my end goal, even on the most difficult days.
The most important takeaway from this research project in my opinion is to never judge a person, because behind the scenes, you do not know what is going on in that person's life. That person may be an individual with BPD, or a loved one to that individual, and you never know what obstacles they face on a day to day basis. Always treat others with kindness and respect.