Borderline Personality Disorder, also known as BPD, is described as a disorder that affects how you regulate your emotions, impulsivity, and a big fear of abandonment. People with BPD tend to avoid this abandonment at all costs with frantic, dangerous acts. Borderline episodes usually include trying to feel something or trying to feel nothing at all. People also experience feeling very hostile towards themselves or others.
Symptoms and Subtypes
BPD shows its symptoms very differently in every person affected. There are the main 9 symptoms, but in order to get diagnosed you must have any 5 symptoms listed.
Fear of Abandonment
Impulsive or self-destructive behaviors
Extreme emotional swings
Explosive anger
Chronic feelings of emptiness
Unstable relationships
Shifting of self-image
Self-harm
Paranoia
There are 4 subtypes of BPD, which highlight a different aspect of the disorder. You can have one, or multiple, of the subtypes. These are the 4 main subtypes:
Discouraged- Big fear of abandonment and being fairly “needy”, emotional mood swings.
Petulant- Unpredictable mood swings, constant passive aggressiveness, need to feel in control of things.
Impulsive- Binging, risky and aggressive behaviors.
Self-Destructive- Partaking in self-harming and abusive behaviors.
People with BPD think differently vs people without it. The pattern that Borderlines think is usually called “Black and White Thinking”. Black and white thinking is described as two extremes of each other. They can affect relationships from excessive overthinking, self image, it can trigger a bigger, deeper problem. When left unmanaged it can really affect everyday life and how you live. Some borderlines use drugs/alcohol or other coping mechanisms, such as self harm, to not face their thoughts and mind.
Borderline VS. Bipolar
Lots of people mistake Borderline personality disorder for Bipolar disorder, but they have lots of differences. One of the most obvious differences between the two is that BPD is a personality disorder while Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder. Most people report that their episodes last a couple of hours to a couple of days. Bipolar episodes tend to last a week or two, and sometimes longer. People with bipolar disorder display high feelings of Mania , while people with BPD display something called “Euphoria”.
My experience
I grew up with a father that had unmanaged BPD. I watched him spiral for a couple hours to a couple of days. There would be times he would be perfectly fine and be the best dad anyone could’ve asked for, but then he would switch to being unstable and aggressive. Exhibiting this type of behavior around a growing mind, especially your child's, can have an extremely negative impact on them. I struggle with my own mental health now due to the trauma I faced because of his instability. I truly believe that if my father had received the help he needed, I would’ve grown up without these issues. Managing a disorder like BPD is extremely complex because it is a balance of DBT (Dialectical behavior therapy), medication, and actually trying to receive the help.
BPD is caused by continuous trauma early on in childhood, or all throughout, that alter the brain chemistry because your brain is unable to process the trauma. A big factor is also your family history and genetics. While this doesn’t 100% mean you will develop BPD, it puts you at a higher risk.
Commentaires