Borderline Personality Disorder Traits

Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder have traits that markedly show their distress while living.

• Make desperate efforts to avoid being abandoned– Individuals with BPD when sense or experience forthcoming rejection or separation or even loss of external structure, they may experience changes in their self-image, mood, thinking and behaviour. This fear abandonment can be real or perceived. Individuals with the personality disorder are extremely sensitive to the environment they live in; any changes could immediately affect their sense of self and being.

Separation or sudden changes of any kind ignites inappropriate anger and fears within them e.g., they would feel angry if their text messages from their loved one are not replied or if their loved one fails to be on time. Experiencing such low tolerance for abandonment and constantly seeking people around them could lead to them taking desperate and impulsive resorts to avoid abandonment like self-mutilation or suicidal behaviours.

• Experience a pattern in their relationships that are unstable and intense– Individuals with BPD tend to highly regard and idealize their partners or loved ones. Too soon into a relationship and they would be extremely demanding of the time spent together in the relationship and need to share their most intimate details. When the standards of idealization for their partners are not met they quickly devalue them e.g., believing their partners do not care about them. They are able to empathize and nurture their loved ones but only meeting with an expectation that their own needs and demands are met. They have the tendency to suddenly and dramatically shift their view of others when their expectations are not met.

• Disturbances in identity– Individuals with BPD persistently show disturbances in their sense of self and self image. There would be sudden and dramatic shifts in what they perceive of themselves. This is noticed in their changing goals, careers, opinions, sexual identity and values. Individuals with this personality disorder would one day seem needy and suddenly become a righteous avenger.

Mostly their self-image is based on being bad, and at times has feelings like they do not exist at all. These feelings usually occur when they lack meaningful, supportive and nurturing relationship. These individuals also have the tendency to perform badly at work or school.

• Impulsivity– Individuals with the personality disorder display impulsivity that are potentially damaging to self. They would be uninhibited and reckless in at least two areas of living; they are sexual intimacy, spending behaviour, substance use, eating, gambling, safety etc.

• Suicidal behaviour– Individuals with BPD display behaviours, threats or gestures related to suicide or self-mutilating behaviour like cutting or burning. Suicide amongst these individuals occurs 8%-10% of the times. These acts of self-destructive is predominantly carried out in order to threaten loved ones or partners when they fear rejection or separation and even in the times when they experience dissociation in order to feel alive.
• Instability in moods– Individuals with BPD displays instability in their moods, i.e. they would either show intense episodic sadness, anxiety, or irritability that could last for a few hours or days. Due to their instability in mood they often experience bouts of anger, despair or panic that is rarely subsided or relieved by satisfaction or well-being. Due to this the individual may experience interpersonal stresses.

• Feelings of emptiness– Individuals with BPD experience chronic feelings of emptiness. These feelings usually ignite tendencies for them to constantly seek something or do something.

• Issues with Anger– Individuals with BPD also experience inappropriate and intense anger. Their inability to control or manage their anger causes them to have volatile outburst and bitterness towards their loved ones. The source of this anger is usually their perception of their loved ones showing abandonment, neglect, uncaring and withholding. Post such bouts of anger they would often feel guilt and shame.

• Paranoia and suspicion– Individuals with BPD also experience extreme stress due to their paranoia and suspicion or even due to their dissociation where in they feel separated from self. These experiences occur mostly when a real or imagined abandonment take place. These symptoms could last for a few minutes or hours.

But there is hope for individual who suffer from BPD with the help effective treatments and coping skills individuals could manage and control their thoughts, feelings, and actions. For help for your loved one, call now on +919611194949.