The Central Ego Case Study

The Central Ego Fairbairn postulates the role of the central ego deriving from a nurturing environment and a secure attachment, fill with good, comforting, loving childhood relationships. Furthermore, Fairbairn argues that is in these scenarios that a good sense of self and others are developed along with a stable ego function (Celani,1993; Greenberg, Mitchell, 1983; St. Clair, 2004). This also allows for the normal development of frustration tolerance, ability to comfort one-self, and the ability to integrate good and bad emotions in a healthy way (Dantes,) all which are typically absent in those suffering from BPD.
Fairbairn constitutes that the central ego is the healthy inner voice that provides balance and reasoning. The opposite …show more content…
This neural dysfunction can also add to the unrealistic views and perceptions that are commonly seen with BPD. The stress induced by BPD behavioral patterns can also contribute to hippocampal vulnerability, a limbic structure which can influence memory function and affect regulation (Cozolino, 2014). Stress can enhance the release of norepinephrine also affecting hippocampal vulnerability. Emotional processing is a function that occurs when emotional stimuli activate a broad neural network that includes the medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices (Cozolino, 2014). This directly affects emotional conflict regulation and can potentiate the impulsive behaviors that correlate with BPD symptomology. Other neural networks affected include the insular and cingular cortexes that can affect how intensely people feel emotions (Etkin, Egner, Kalisch ,2011). The mood instability seen in BPD often leads to depression in where neurotransmitter systems are dis-regulated affecting the output of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine (Siever, Davis,