How to Recognize Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

The pain of borderline personality disorder

A personality disorder is a pattern of inner experience and behavior that is a deviation from a patient's culture or custom. This deviation can be severe, and the behaviors, which generally first appear in adolescence, often become pervasive and inflexible. Each disorder has specific symptoms and behaviors. Read on to learn about some of the symptoms associated with BPD (borderline personality disorder).

Instructions

1. Note a pervasive pattern of difficulties in interpersonal relationships, poor self-image and impulsive behavior that begins in early adulthood and continues over the course of a lifetime. Of the specific symptoms that follow, the person must exhibit at least five in order to be considered as having BPD.

2. Note if a patient appears to fear abandonment, whether real or imagined. Patients will often tell significant others, therapists or doctors not to leave them, or accuse them of leaving them unjustly.

3. Look for a pattern of unstable, intense personal relationships that seem to be ideal relationships at one point and hateful relationships at another. This is called "splitting," and can be a part of any relationship.

4. Check for an unstable self-image. Patients will often complain of not knowing themselves or not even having a sense of self.

5. Look for recurring suicide attempts and/or reactivity of mood that is unstable. These mood swings can include irritability, anxiety or simply intensity of feeling/mood.

6. Notice inappropriate or highly intense anger. The patient may be unable to control this anger or get it to dissipate.

7. Check into any self-damaging behaviors like over-spending, over-eating, substance abuse, reckless driving or self-harming behavior.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to realize that when you notice at least five of these symptoms, there is strong impetus to seek treatment.