Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental issue that interferes with one’s thinking about themselves and others, making daily life seem unbearable.
A borderline personality disorder may include negative self-image and talks, hardship in managing and controlling behavior and emotions, and a pattern of unstable relationships.
With this disorder, one experiences intense fear of being abandoned or unstable and can’t bear being alone. However, people suffering from this condition tend to push others away due to too much anger, mood swings, and impulsiveness, even if they long for a stable, long-lasting relationship.
BPD often starts in childhood and gets worse with aging if not treated well. Nevertheless, if you’re currently struggling with this mental condition, there’s no need to worry since it can get treated well with time. For more information about BPD, continue reading.
What Are The Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder?
Unbalanced Self-Image
With BPD, you’re likely to experience shifting self-image. Sometimes you’re happy and satisfied with yourself. At other times, you feel intense hatred for yourself. You are actually not certain about who you are or what you want to achieve in life. Due to shifts in self-image that lead to you not knowing what you want or deserve, you’re more likely to switch jobs, friends, sexual partners, religions, or even goals.
Fear of Being Abandoned
Persons suffering from BPD are always afraid of being abandoned or left alone. It can get to a point where these individuals experience intense fear when their partners come late from work or spend a weekend away from home. This often leads to these people going the extra mile to keep other people close. They tend to track other people’s movements, beg, start fights, cling, be people-pleasers, or physically block them from going out. However, these behaviors only drive other people away.
Self-Harm Behaviors
Suicidal thoughts and other self-harm ideas are common in persons with BPD. People with this condition tend to concentrate more on suicidal thoughts, make threats about attempting suicide, or even attempt on them. Self-harm among such individuals includes hurting themselves without suicidal intent, such as cutting or burning themselves.
Unstable Relationships
You’re likely to have intense relationships that last for short periods with BPD. You tend to fall in love quickly, with the thought that your partner might be your better half, but get disappointed quickly. You often view your relationship as horrible without basis and call it a quit. In the end, your loved ones tend to feel emotionally hurt due to your shifting idealization, hate, and anger.
Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder
Self-Destructive or Impulsive Behaviors
Persons with BPD tend to engage in self-destructive and reckless behaviors, especially when angry. They tend to binge eat, drive recklessly, spend more than they can afford, shoplift, abuse substances, or even engage in unsafe sexual behaviors. Unfortunately, these behaviors can make such individuals feel at ease at the moment but may have long-lasting effects on them and their loved ones.
Feelings of Suspicion and Out of Touch with Reality
With BPD, it’s common to experience paranoia or suspicious thoughts about other people’s motives. Sometimes, you can lose touch with reality.
Prolonged Feelings of Emptiness
Individuals with BPD feel and talk about feeling empty most of the time. They tend to feel as if they have a hole inside them. It may worsen, making the individual feel like they are nobody or nothing. These individuals might turn to drug abuse, too much sex, food, and nothing to fill the void inside.
Unpredicted Emotional Swings
Most people with BPD experience unstable moods and emotional swings. They are bursting with happiness at one moment, and at the other, they are sad. Small things that appear funny to other people tend to agitate them. However, these emotional swings don’t last long as with depression or bipolar. They last for a few minutes or hours.
Explosive Anger
Most persons with BPD struggle with a short temper and intense anger. They tend to yell due to trouble controlling themselves or throwing things around. You should also understand that this anger isn’t always directed outwards as these people can spend a long time feeling angry.
What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder?
Most mental health practitioners think that this condition may be caused by several internal or inherited biological factors or other external environmental factors such as traumatic experiences during childhood.
Borderline Personality Treatment
It’s important to understand that you can’t conclude that you have BPD by yourself. Therefore, if you think you or your loved one might have any mental problem, it’s advisable to seek a mental health professional for a clear diagnosis. BPD is mostly confused with other mental challenges; hence incorporating a professional to evaluate your case is paramount.
However, as far as BPD treatment is concerned, there is little research showing how the medication is helpful in this case. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved any medication for treating BPD in the U.S. But, this doesn’t mean that this condition can’t be treated. Your doctor may recommend you to work with a therapist and practice self-soothing mechanisms such as doing things that make you happy. You can also practice a deep breath whenever you feel agitated, and you’ll notice the difference.
When You Require Urgent Mental Health Professional Assistance
If you’re struggling with prolonged suicidal thoughts or feelings of worthlessness that can lead to self-harming, you need an urgent doctor’s intervention. Don’t overlook such symptoms since they can have irreversible consequences.
What is Borderline Personality – Conclusion
A borderline personality disorder is a mental condition that mostly occurs alongside other mental health problems such as depression or bipolar disorder. This condition shouldn’t be overlooked since it can lead to suicidal thoughts, self-harm behaviors, among other things.
The best way to treat this condition is by consulting a mental health practitioner to assess your case further to diagnose the condition and advice on a suitable treatment plan.
BPD can be treated if the patient adheres to the doctor’s treatment plan, including medication, therapists, and self-soothing mechanisms.
