Personality Disorders

Borderline Personality Disorder

People with borderline personality disorder have strong and intense emotions, often in reaction to how they perceive and believe others are treating them. Their emotional reactions are difficult to control. 

Interpersonal relationships are affected by strong fears of being abandoned, and going to extremes to keep others from leaving. Relationships tend to be stormy with many up and downs as the person alternates between having strong positive and negative feelings towards others. The moods of the individual with borderline personality disorder are strong and frequently change. There are problems with controlling anger, and anger outbursts are common. 

Individuals with borderline personality disorder do not have a stable sense of their identity, and feel empty inside much of the time. Self-destructive behavior is common. They tend to make recurrent suicide attempts, suicide threats or engage in self-damaging behavior such as cutting or burning. They also do impulsive things that can cause problems such as gambling, spending money, sex, drug and alcohol use, stealing, eating binges, or reckless driving. 

Find out more: Borderline personality disorder

Other personality disorders

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