UNDERSTANDING BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is often described by clinicians and patients alike as living with “third-degree emotional burns.” While the world sees a person reacting to a situation, the individual with BPD is experiencing a profound, often excruciating sensitivity to the emotional environment around them.
In this post, we’ll break down the clinical hallmarks of BPD, debunk common stigmas, and explore why this diagnosis is increasingly viewed through a lens of hope rather than a life sentence.
What is BPD?
At its core, BPD is a mental health condition characterized by significant difficulty regulating emotion. This “emotional dysregulation” impacts how a person feels about themselves, how they relate to others, and how they behave in the face of stress.
Clinically, BPD is categorized by nine diagnostic criteria. Generally, a diagnosis requires meeting at least five of the following:
- Fear of Abandonment: Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined separation.
- Unstable Relationships: A pattern of “splitting” (viewing people as all good or all bad).
- Identity Disturbance: A shifting or unstable sense of self.
- Impulsivity: Engaging in risky behaviors (spending, substance use, reckless driving).
- Self-Harm or Suicidality: Recurrent threats or behaviors.
- Affective Instability: Intense “mood swings” that last hours rather than days.
- Chronic Emptiness: A persistent feeling of being “hollow.”
- Inappropriate Anger: Difficulty controlling temper or frequent displays of rage.
- Paranoia or Dissociation: Stress-related feelings of being “checked out” or suspicious.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Our dedicated team is committed to supporting clients and their families throughout their therapeutic journey.