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Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder



The signs and symptoms of BPD appear in the behavior of the affected person. BPD can cause a person to be more impulsive and aggressive due to an inability to manage their emotions. Socially, sufferers tend to expect rejection and criticism of their actions. These social tendencies make it difficult for them to form stable relationships. It is possible that people with BPD may have suffered from parental neglect or sexual abuse during childhood. Some of the signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder are:

• Unstable self-image – A rapid change in their perception of their likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses and goals
• Unstable relationships – A frequent change in the way they perceive someone, often moving from one extreme of idealizing them to thinking of them as worthless
• Unstable emotions – A rapid changes in feelings like severe anger, joy, euphoria and anxiety including panic attacks and depression. Their responses to external factors may seem disproportionate to the cause
• Fear of abandonment, either real or imagined, with desperate efforts made to avoid it
• Significant levels of impulsivity – The person tends to act before thinking often to the point of inflicting damage. Examples of this behavior are spending habits, sexual behavior, driving and eating habits, use of drugs or alcohol
• Suicidal behavior, either pretended or real
• Chronic feelings of emptiness
• Intense, often inappropriate anger and difficulty in anger management
• Stress related paranoia
• Lapses in memory

When should a doctor be consulted?

Feelings of being misunderstood, loneliness, emptiness and hopelessness are common among people with BPD. They are full of self-loathing and despite being aware of their self-destructive behavior may be unable to change it. Impulsive behavior may lead to problems with the law, drinking or taking drugs and gambling. Social life at work or at school may get affected.

If any of the above symptoms show up in a person close to you, talk to them about seeing a specialist but keep in mind the fact that a person cannot be forced. Use tact instead. If you find yourself being badly affected by the other person’s behavior, you may need to see a therapist yourself.