Borderline Personality Disorder - How It Manifests In Your Life?

One of the most common personality disorders, BPD or borderline personality disorder often remains undiagnosed or repressed and gets passed off as mood swings or a volatile disposition. However this disorder is much more than just mood swings as it can seriously affect the quality of a person’s life. The primary manifestation of this disorder is in the way you think about yourself and others which result in the work that you need to do on a daily basis.

How does BPD manifest in your life?
The most common ways Borderline personality disorder can manifest in your life is with extreme mood swings or emotions, a discernable pattern in relationships becoming unstable after sometime, impulsive behavior, and a self–image which is distorted. BPD thus affects how you view yourself, how you feel about others and you resultant behavior in general. Some of the typical signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder are mentioned below.

Persistent feelings of emptiness

1. Anger in inappropriate or unnecessary places, losing your temper very frequently, resulting in physical fights
2. Fearing abandonment intensely, whether it is real or imagined and thus going huge lengths to stop it from happening
3. Extreme instability in relationships which may cause a partner to be liked one moment and then hated the next
4. People with BPD also tend to be suicidal which is often caused by the fear of rejection or separation
5. Engaging in risky and impulsive behaviors such as
   • Engaging in unsafe sex despite being aware of the implications
   • Splurging money on gambling
   • Leaving a good job suddenly
   • A tendency to indulge in drugs
   • Binge eating
   • Reckless driving
   • Suddenly terminating a healthy and positive relationship
6. Sudden changes in values and self-identity and goals and feeling low about yourself as a result

Causes of Borderline personality disorder
In most cases borderline personality disorder can’t be exactly attributed to a single cause and in most cases, is a combination of factors. While genetic or hereditary predisposition can cause BPD it may also be triggered by other factors. Also, not curbing mal-traits in young children or encouraging such behaviors may lead to BPD as they grow up. Some of the factors that contribute to BPD are

• Genetics
• Abnormalities in the brain
• Childhood incidents which were stressful
• Personality traits which have worsened

If you think you have been displaying some of the symptoms for a fairly prolonged period, it is advisable that you visit a mental health professional for counseling and start with therapy as advised by them. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!