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Imagine a world where emotions are magnified, where the simplest conversation can feel like a test of loyalty, and a minor disappointment feels like heartbreak. For those with borderline personality disorder (BPD), this is daily life—navigating intense emotions and ever-shifting relationships while trying to maintain a sense of self.
It’s a misunderstood condition that’s often mislabeled as “dramatic” or “overly sensitive,” but there’s so much more behind these labels.
BPD is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood fluctuations, interpersonal instability, and impulsivity. It is said to be part of the “Cluster B” personality disorder group and is often undiagnosed.
The clinic further explains that BPD is distinct from bipolar disorder, which is characterised by sustained moods and less reactive energy and activity. “In BPD, mood and behaviour change rapidly in response to significant stress, especially when interacting with other people, whereas in bipolar disorder, moods are more sustained and less reactive. People with bipolar disorder also have significant changes in energy and activity, unlike those with BPD.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of this condition are as follows:
- Extreme fear of abandonment, leading to extreme measures to avoid separation or rejection
- Pattern of unstable, intense relationships, characterised by sudden changes in perception
- Rapid shifts in self-perception, including shifting goals and values
- Stress-related paranoia and loss of contact with reality
- Impulsive and risky behaviour, including gambling, dangerous driving, unsafe sex, and drug misuse
- Threats of suicide or self-injury due to fears of separation or rejection
- Wide mood swings lasting a few hours to days
- Ongoing feelings of emptiness
- Inappropriate, strong anger, including frequent temper loss, sarcasm, bitterness, or physical violence.
The McLean Hospital claims that symptoms manifest in the early teenage years and improve over adulthood. Causes according to the mentioned source include genetics, brain abnormalities, and environmental factors. “Early childhood adversity, such as child abuse or neglect, may be a cause. Certain brain differences are thought to be contributing causes of the disorder. When certain brain chemicals responsible for mood regulation don’t function properly, there are changes in some areas of the brain. This has been linked to aggression, difficulty regulating destructive urges, and depression.”
Also see Inside the mind: What does having a split personality mean?
