The 9 Traits of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD for short is a highly misunderstood mental health condition. Signs and symptoms usually present themselves during the teenage years and get more pronounced in a person’s 20s and 30s.

This condition can alter your perception of yourself and the world around you, and depending on its severity, it can make relationships and partnerships difficult to maintain.

There are several symptoms to look for, and understanding these 9 common traits of BPD is a good place to start.

1 — Fear Of Abandonment

Those with borderline personality disorder are known to suffer from abandonment issues. Something as simple as a partner coming home late from work or missing a few calls can trigger crippling fear, and it can lead to some extreme and frantic responses.

This can include things like tracking your partner’s phone, reading their text messages when they aren’t around, begging and pleading, and even in some cases, physically stopping them from leaving the house.

The saddest part about this is that these tactics will only drive the other person further away.

2 — Unstable Relationships

Those suffering from BPD have a tendency to have intense but short-lived relationships. This means you tend to fall in love hard and fast and crash just as quickly.

Your relationships seem perfect one moment and terrible the next. Because of your rapid swings from idealization to devaluation, your relationships with partners, friends, and family are a constant emotional rollercoaster.

3 — Unclear Or Shifting Self-Image

As I mentioned earlier, BPD can alter your perception of yourself which means your sense of self can be blurry and unstable. You can go from feeling comfortable in your skin and happy with yourself to viewing yourself as the villain in other people’s lives.

There is less clarity on who you are, what you like or want, and where you want to go in life. As a result, you may frequently switch jobs, friend groups, values, religions, and goals.

4 — Impulsive And Self-Destructive Behaviors

Self-destructive behaviors aren’t limited to alcohol or drug abuse. Those suffering from BPD engage in anything that gives them a temporary high or thrill, especially if they’re upset and want to feel better.

This can manifest as spending excessive money on shopping, binge eating, driving recklessly, and even shoplifting or engaging in risky sex. These behaviors may help you feel better in the moment, but they have long-term consequences.

5 — Suicidal Behavior And Self-Harm

Suicidal behavior is common in those with borderline personality disorder, which isn’t limited to the actual act. It also includes thinking about suicide or making suicidal gestures or threats.

Self-harm includes acts of intentionally harming one’s own body without meaning for the injury to be fatal.

6 — Varied Or Random Mood Swings

Emotional instability and BPD go hand in hand. It’s common to go from feeling absolute glee and joyfulness to total depression and hopelessness. What may not seem like a big deal to others, like a sarcastic comment or joke, can send you into an emotional tailspin.

These mood swings are intense and totally unpredictable in timing. They can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours or more, which is another factor that makes maintaining long-term relationships difficult.

7 — Chronic Feelings Of Emptiness

Those with a borderline personality disorder often talk about a feeling of emptiness, like a growing pit of nothing in their stomach, eating away at them.

The problem is that people with this condition tend to chase highs to fill that void with impulsive, self-destructive behaviors. But as I was saying earlier, the ‘high’ doesn’t last very long and when you crash, you crash hard.

8 — Explosive Anger

A short temper in someone with BPD can quickly turn ugly. In a way, it’s like removing the safety clip from a grenade because there is simply no going back once the damage is done.

It can escalate to the point where the person screams, throws things and becomes completely consumed with rage. That said, this anger isn’t always directed outward. You can also spend a lot of time feeling angry at yourself.

9 — Feelings Of Suspicion Or Out Of Touch With Reality

Paranoia or suspicious thoughts about a person’s motives are common in people with a borderline personality disorder. When under severe stress, you can even lose touch with reality, which is known as dissociation.

You may feel foggy, spaced out, or as if you’re not in your own body. These symptoms are generally temporary and aren’t severe enough to be classified as a separate disorder. While some people can experience one or two of these traits in their lives, people with borderline personality disorder experience several of them simultaneously and for years on end.

It impacts not just one area of their life but several, from home and social circle to the workplace. If any of these points resonated with you, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a licensed mental health professional who can make an accurate diagnosis and get you started on the path to treatment.

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with BPD? Share your experience in the comments below.

Originally published at https://interestingpsychology.com on October 17, 2021.