Borderline Personality Traits
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a condition characterized by a chronic pattern of instability in self-image, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. BPD has a profound impact on those who experience its symptoms. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 1.2 percent of adults experience BPD at some time in their lives. In the past, it was believed that most people with BPD were female, but now it is known that borderline personality disorder is about equally present in males and females.
What it looks like
- Extreme fear of abandonment and the need for constant reassurance – which often drives others away because these emotional needs can seem insatiable
- Periods of excessive and inappropriate anger or rage
- A pattern of instability in relationships with others, ranging from feeling very close to others (idealizing them) to feeling anger toward them (devaluing them). These feelings can occur very close in time, such as idealizing a friend in the morning and demonizing them in the afternoon, often confusing the targeted person.
- Impulsive or recklessly dangerous behavior, such as having unsafe sex or driving while intoxicated
- Trouble with trusting other people
- Some people with BPD engage in self-harm, such as cutting their bodies. Often this is not meant as a suicidal act but instead as a way to feel something when the person feels empty.
- Feelings of emptiness and not belonging
- Dissociative feelings of not feeling real
- Suicidal behaviors
Symptoms of BPD can be seen as early as in adolescence or young adulthood, and if untreated, these symptoms often persist over time.
Untreated BPD
It is very important to treat borderline personality disorder. If the condition goes unmanaged, it may severely impede the person’s psychological and general health.
Outlook
Borderline personality disorder can present challenges to living a happy and satisfying life, but it does not have to. Most people who are properly diagnosed and treated find that they feel significant improvement in their daily lives.
Having BPD is nobody’s fault
Many people with BPD may have blamed themselves for years for not being able to control their behavior. They may have wondered how everyone else seems assured and relaxed in comparison to themselves. But, borderline personality disorder is no one’s fault, and is extremely difficult to control without therapy. Blaming oneself for the condition is like blaming oneself for being too tall, having brown eyes, or having freckles.
In good company
Many prominent people reportedly struggle with borderline personality disorder, such as television personality Pete Davidson, actor Jim Carrey, and singer Courtney Love. Individuals with BPD are definitely not alone in their unique experience.
The current thinking on what causes BPD
BPD may have a genetic foundation, as we see that it “runs in families.” However, the issue is complicated: An individual may have a family history of borderline personality disorder, but never experience it themselves. Some (but not all) people with BPD have experienced trauma as children. For example, severe bullying in childhood may sometimes lead to BPD. However, not everyone who experiences trauma in childhood develops BPD. Many experienced mental health professionals believe BPD results from a combination of one's genetics and their environment. For people with BPD, it is likely that established treatment practices will help.