There has been a significant push for the prioritization of mental health awareness in the recent past.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most serious mental conditions that people grapple with. But, not everybody knows how to recognize the signs.
We’ve put together a short guide that details everything you need to know about the symptoms of BPD. Let’s take a look.
Rocky Relationships
One of the most prominent symptoms of borderline personality disorder is the presence of unstable relationships. This could be with friends, family members, or romantic partners.
In general, someone with BPD might act erratically or out of character during certain intervals. These actions often place a large amount of strain on the relationship with another person.
For example, someone with undiagnosed BPD might exhibit episodes of aggressive emotional or physical behavior toward their significant other. Within minutes, this behavior may subside and their entire demeanor will return to normal.
These scenarios could also involve overwhelming positive emotions. Someone who suffers from BPD may tend to fall in and out of love at a rapid pace.
High Levels of Aggression
It’s not uncommon for someone with borderline personality disorder to exhibit high levels of anger or aggression. These episodes generally involve dangerous or concerning behavior, such as violence or the destruction of property.
More often than not, though, anger in these scenarios is directed at oneself. Situations involving this level of anger also tend to arise seemingly out of nowhere.
Something as simple as a particular word or song, for example, could cause someone to become enraged.
Fear of Being Abandoned
Interestingly, those with BPD also have an overwhelming fear of being abandoned. They tend to assume the worst if they aren’t able to get in touch with another person.
To elaborate, let’s assume that a male with BPD calls his wife while she is driving home from work. If she doesn’t answer the phone, he may assume that she has gotten into an accident, that she is being unfaithful, etc.
From here, it’s not uncommon for these individuals to exhibit frantic or erratic behavior.
Self-Harm
Unfortunately, self-harm is relatively commonplace and those who have this condition. They may engage in this behavior as a result of being sad, overwhelmingly angry, or simply feeling like they don’t deserve to be alive.
These instances come with a high risk of progressing to suicidal behavior, such as threatening to do kill oneself or actually making an attempt.
The most common forms of self-harm include mutilating oneself via burning or cutting. This behavior is easily exacerbated while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Intense Mood Swings
As you might expect, an individual who has BPD may have intense mood swings on a regular basis. One moment you may feel overwhelmingly happy, and the next moment you might feel intense sadness or anger.
It should come as no surprise that these mood swings can easily have a negative impact on your overall quality of life. Fortunately, mood swings tend to pass fairly quickly.
But, they are often triggered by subtle actions or comments that other people most likely would be unaffected by.
Self-Destructive Behavior
In addition to self-harm, self-destructive behavior is also relatively common. But, this doesn’t always involve a deliberate attempt to hurt oneself.
For instance, someone with BPD may have episodes where they frequently engage in high-risk behavior. This typically includes unprotected sex, drug use, driving while under the influence of alcohol, etc. It could also involve spending large amounts of money at once, binge eating, or committing crimes in order to feel a rush of adrenaline.
More often than not, people who have BPD participate in self-destructive actions in order to feel invigorated.
Feeling Dissociative
This is a separate feeling from being sad, angry, etc. Many people describe it as feeling out of touch with reality or as if you are watching your life from another person’s perspective.
This is also accompanied by a sensation of fogginess. You might have difficulty remembering recent events, become suspicious of those around you, or even develop irrational paranoia.
It’s entirely possible for someone who suffers from BPD to be safe in their home yet still experience overwhelming fear or dissociation. In extreme scenarios, these episodes can have a long-lasting impact on your overall mental health.
You may begin to feel differently about those around you, refuse to trust anybody else, or even isolate yourself from friends and family members.
Volatile Self-Image
One moment, you’re completely confident in your appearance and the progress you’ve made in your life. Within an hour or two, you might feel like a failure or notice every flaw with how you look.
Sometimes, you may even view yourself as being evil or unreliable.
This can easily progress to self-hatred, something that often leads to self-harm or suicidal behavior. In order to help escape this feeling, those with BPD frequently make drastic changes in their lives.
This could involve a shift in who you befriend, the religion you follow, or your romantic partners. Additionally, you may discard old moral values for new ones.
Recognizing the Symptoms of BPD Can Seem Difficult
The information listed above will ensure that you are able to do so effectively. From here, you will have no issue recognizing the symptoms of BPD and pursuing the necessary treatment as quickly as possible.
Want to learn more about what we have to offer? Feel free to reach out to us today and see how we can help.
