Q. I am a borderline, but I also have schizo-affective disorder. I find life difficult almost every day of my life. I feel as if I have been dealt a cruel blow, but I know I must try anyway. Do you have any suggestions, such as medications or therapies that I might not know about?

A. There are a multitude of treatments for your disorder. Some treatments are junk and some are good. I would advise you to work on the biological portion of the illness first. Use a medication that covers all your symptoms--BPD, psychosis, depression, anxiety; headaches, migraines, sleep problems, PMS, etc. Since you will likely need to be on medication for the foreseeable future, all things being equal, pick one with a good side effect profile.

I covered these treatments in a book chapter about two years ago. I make nothing off the book, so this is not a plug. The book is called Impulsivity and Aggression and Eric Hollander and Dan Stein were the editors. An updated version will be out in April or May. John Livelsley, MD of the Univ. of British Columbia is the editor.