Overview of Borderline Personality Organization from the Framework of Object Relations Theory: Interpretation of the Basic Defense Mechanisms with Case Studies

Object relations theory examines the link between internalized experiences of dual relationships experienced in early childhood experiences. Otto Kernberg is one of the object relation theorists and has done a lot of studies related to borderline patients. In particular, he draws attention to the structure of the borderline personality pattern and the therapy process. Borderline patients' self and object designs were fed from libidinal and oral aggressive sources and could not be integrated. He pointed to the use of ego weakness and primitive defense mechanisms in the borderline personality pattern. He pointed out that ego weakness and defensive mechanisms feed each other and adversely affect healthy superego formation. In this article, the place of the object relations in the borderline personality pattern is explained, then the concepts of ego weakness, defensive mechanisms and polymorphic sexual tendencies are explained with the case study