Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder [BPD] (also known as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) is one of a number of personality disorders characterised by an individuals emotional responses to situations and others.
People who have BPD are also more likely to experience depression, anxiety, eating disorders or substance misuse.
It is a serious mental health problem which can be linked to self-harm and suicide. This can happen when emotions become intensely painful and hard to cope with.
Feelings and behaviours associated with BPD/EUPD are very difficult to live with, and deserve understanding and support.
Common Experiences of Borderline Personality Disorder
- Emotional instability leading to extreme ups and downs.
- Difficulty in making and sustaining stable and close relationships.
- Unstable sense of identity.
- Self-harm.
- Fears of being abandoned, rejected or alone.
- Impulsive behaviour.
- Experiencing periods where there is a loss of control with reality.
BPD/EUPD is a very broad diagnosis which includes lots of different people with very different experiences.
Some people find it helpful to have a diagnosis because they feel it explains and helps people to understand their difficulties, or gives them a sense of relief and validation.
Others feel their diagnosis isn't helpful, disagreeing entirely with the current system of diagnosing personality disorders and finding it stigmatising and unhelpful.
Personal Stories
“BPD doesn't mean you’re a dangerous person and nor does it mean you seek attention.
“It's important to note that everyone deals with emotions in their own way. If you break a leg then people can see you’re in pain. When in emotional distress you can't show it and if you do self-harm and show that distress, then people just need to realise that there is no shame in that.
“Nobody sets out to seek attention but even if they did, is that a bad thing?
“One of my frustrations about BPD is the assumption by professionals that because you have mood instability then you can't also be depressed, or anxious."
- Holly McCormack