Borderline Personality Disorder - facts
Hey everyone! While I have been gallivanting around 7cups I have come across a few people who have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, otherwise known as BPD. I also have been diagnosed with this and it took me a long time to actually understand what it was and how it affects me personally. I thought I would try to give something back by researching and writing a post about exactly what it is and how people can be affected by it to help both people who have been diagnosed and for listeners to understand what the disorder is so they can help members and guests to the best of their ability. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or psychologist and while i have researched all in this post i am not qualified enough in this area to use it as a way to diagnose people or to advise if they may have BPD. Also this is for understanding purposes only and not for others to use as concrete evidence.
WARNING: This may be triggering for some people to read or hard for some people to accept, if you are struggling with this i encourage you to connect with a listener and get some support on the subject.
SUMMARY
Borderline Personality Disorder, otherwise known as BPD, is a mental illness that mainly affects a persons ability to healthily control their emotions, maintain relationships and control their impulsivity. It became an official diagnosis in 1980 and is undergoing intensive research. Less than 1% of the population is diagnosed with BPD and it is estimated that 3 quarters of people diagnosed are women. In 2008 the month of May was declared to be Borderline Personality Disorder awareness month in America and many people wear a grey ribbon or band during the month to show their support.The name borderline has come from the theory that BPD patients are on the border of neurosis and psychosis however there is a lot of controversy over the name in the BPD community as they feel it is misleading.
People are diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder if they have five or more of these symptoms and if the symptoms have a significant impact on their everyday life:
?They have emotions that are up and down with feelings of emptiness and often anger.
?They find it difficult to make and maintain relationships.
?They have an unstable sense of identity, such as thinking differently about themselves depending on who they are with.
?They take risks or do things without thinking about the consequences.
?They harm themselves or often think about harming themselves.
?They fear being abandoned, rejected or being alone.
?They sometimes believe in things that are not real or true (called delusions) or see or hear things that are not really there (called hallucinations).
Professionals find it hard to diagnose BPD as it covers such a wide range of behaviours and can present itself in many ways.
Signs and Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
Emotions:
People who suffer from BPD feel emotions easier, for longer and more intensely than others. Their negative emotions, such as anger and sadness, are normally what they struggle to deal with the most. They may repeatedly reignite their feelings, which can prolong their reactions, and they can take a long time to recover from an intense emotion. They are especially sensitive to rejection, isolation and perceived failure. Also, their emotions can change and swing rapidly throughout the day, without warning. However, while BPD patients feel joy intensely, they normally swing between either depression and anxiety, or anger and anxiety. People with BPD are very prone to dysphoria, which is when a person experiences intense feelings of depression, anxiety, and in some cases, lack of identity. This can lead to self destructiveness, feelings of victimisation and suicidal behaviour. Also, some people may learn to shut negative emotions down to protect themselves from their intense feelings. This leads to them feeling numb and emotionless and sometimes lacking empathy. It also affects their decision making skills in everyday life. This is called dissociation.
Dissociation:
Dissociation is an intense form of zoning out or daydreaming. It mainly occurs due to experiencing a painful event or experiencing something that triggers the memory of a distressing event. It protects against and provides a temporary relief from experiencing intense emotion and unwanted behavioural impulses. However, this can cause blocking and blunting ordinary emotions, preventing the information in these emotions to get through, which in turn hindrances everyday life; such as decision making and focusing on tasks. Sometimes it is possible to notice when someone is dissociating, as they may become unresponsive, distracted, emotionless or expressionless. However, a lot of the time it is gone unnoticed, as the person can still function and talk while dissociating.
Behaviour:
People who are diagnosed with BPD are often impulsive because it gives them immediate relief from their emotional pain, they often don?t care or don?t think about the consequence of their actions until after they have acted on the impulse.These impulses can include:
?Drug abuse.
?Alcohol abuse.
?Eating disorders.
?Unprotected and indiscriminate sex.
?Quitting jobs.
?Self-harm.
?Running away from home.
Although it may give a quick remedy to their emotional pain, they develop shame and guilt for their actions, which they can?t handle so they use their impulses. This soon becomes a continuing cycle. As the cycle goes on, the stronger and more extreme the impulsive behaviour and emotions become. The impulsive behaviours also become an automatic response to anything they feel they may not be able to cope with. This makes it extremely hard to stop.
Relationships:
People who suffer from BPD find interpersonal relationships difficult. This is because they use what is called black and white thinking. They feel intense joy and gratitude at perceived expressions of kindness, and intense anger and sadness at perceived criticism. This can lead to idealising and devaluing people, making it hard to maintain a relationship. Although people with BPD strongly desire intimacy, they are normally insecure and avoidant. This makes them doubt peoples intentions, and can view the world as dangerous and unkind. Although it is difficult, many people with BPD develop strong emotional bonds with others. However, if these relationships suffer a breakdown and can no longer continue, it can be hard to accept the loss. The pain is very much like the grief we feel when a loved one has passed away, but the emotions don?t seem to fade with time and in some cases, it enhances the need to keep trying to salvage the relationship, even if the other person isn't interested anymore.
Self-harm and Suicidal Behaviour:
Self-harm is part of the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder. Managing and controlling this can be challenging, as it can also be an impulse they suffer with. Self-injury can be with or without suicidal intent.People who are not suicidal may do it because:
?They need a way to express their anger.
I'm diagnosed with BPD.. but these days I don't know whether I have it..
Hi there, thanks for posting. I have not been officially diagnosed with BPD, however I am positive that I have it. I'd really like to talk to you sometime about this, but I am a teen and therefore cannot connect with you, as you are an adult listener. Would we be able to chat ifyou initiated it? Thanks so much.
Thank you so much for this @din0sawrr. I must confess that I have been totally in the dark about BPD but this gives me some education about it. I really appreciate that!
Thank you so much for this post, I recently have felt like this is what I have, not depression, and I am happy to have found more info on it. Its almost scary how much it is like me.
Hi everyone I'm new to this site and new in general to talking to people about my bpd. I got diagnosed about a year ago but like most of you I think I've had it since I was a child. I am a student and sometimes I find my bpd can cause me so much suffering that my partner and housemates can't understand. I'd really like to talk to you all and see if we could maybe support each other, as we will all understand. I really hope to hear from you. Stay strong x
I don't have BPD but i would love to know more about you. I hope we can help each other and our stories can be lessons that can be learned by each other and also everyone else. Would love to chat more about this..
It is genuinely ruining my life. Everything that was bad that happened to me as a kid is over and I have a lot of good prospects for the future but the bad thoughts and insense emotions that happen for no apparent reason leave me feeling so empty and worthless that I do not feel in control of anything. The tiniest thing can tip me over the edge and I can see it is negatively affecting all my relationships
My sister suffers from thisalong with depression self harm bulimia and anxiety she is in hospitala t the minute she has given up her child to foster care and I just can't help being angry with her and feeling that she should be doing more to help herself ,when she isn't in hospital she would sit at home with the curtains closed and sit in silence it's like she doesn't want to get better or even try and I justg et so angry with her andi hate feeling like that
Good explanation for people who want or need to be educated about it. Thank you.
Much obliged to you for posting this I would be viewed as the sort called peevish in the event that all that stuff is genuine I go from being numb to full on fury once in a while I loathe it.
Marginal identity issue (BPD) is a genuine dysfunctional behavior that focuses on the powerlessness to oversee feelings successfully. The turmoil happens with regards to connections: now and then all connections are influenced, now and then stand out. It for the most part starts amid youthfulness or early adulthood.
While a few persons with BPD are advanced in specific settings, their private lives might be in turmoil. The vast majority who have BPD experience the ill effects of issues directing their feelings and considerations, hasty and here and there foolhardy conduct, and insecure connections
Different disarranges, for example, misery, uneasiness issue, dietary problems, substance misuse and other identity issue can regularly exist alongside BPD
The finding of BPD is as often as possible missed and a misdiagnosis of BPD has been appeared to defer and/or counteract recuperation. Bipolar turmoil is one case of a misdiagnosis as it likewise incorporates state of mind flimsiness. (There are critical contrasts between these conditions however both include insecure temperaments. For the individual with bipolar issue, the disposition changes exist for a considerable length of time or even months. The state of mind changes in BPD are much shorter and can even happen inside the day.
Formally perceived in 1980 by the psychiatric group, BPD is over two decades behind in examination, treatment choices, and family psycho-instruction contrasted with other major psychiatric issue. BPD has truly met with far reaching misconception and obtrusive shame. Be that as it may, prove based medicines have developed in the course of recent decades conveying want to those determined to have the turmoil and their friends and family.
@BuyAtivanOnlineNow
this post is terribly written. BPD is not a 'marginal issue" or a 'behavioural problem' and it's not about 'the inability to focus'. Seriously, have you even googled it? BPD is a personality disorder of emotional instability and impulsivity derived from childhood trauma.
@abirose6
yeah, thanks. Cuz besides the part where we're decades behind on research I was kinda scratching my noggin. I am a fan of Ativan, however!