8 Major Signs of Borderline Personality Disorder
What do you think of when you hear the term “borderline?” What comes to mind for you? For a lot of people, “borderline” means “split,” “switchable,” “unstable,” or “unsure and confused.” In some ways this is true. Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) struggle with managing emotions, making proper decisions, controlling their impulses, focuses on the broader picture (ignoring the narrow, negative view of things), and maintaining positive and healthy relationships.
But BPD is so much more than just this. It is a way the person has learned to communicate and manage (to the best of their ability) their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
This article will discuss some telltale signs of BPD.
Individuals diagnosed with BPD can display symptoms similarly to or differently from other people. Some people experience the diagnosis as “earth-shattering,” while other people may seem very in control and “together,” often not displaying too many symptoms in public. This is what makes diagnosis so very difficult. The clinical picture of BPD can vary greatly across cultures, age groups, genders, and socio-economic status.
I previously trained an intern who saw a client who had a very controlling step-mother. She truly believed her step-daughter had BPD traits and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. She would come to every session saying “see, she’s like all the other borderlines” or “this is how they act.” While there is sometimes clear signs of the disorder, there are often times when signs are unclear.