what are some characteristics of borderline persoality disorder???

Question

i know that borderline personality order is not the same as bipolar dis order...

Answer 1

While a person with depression or bipolar disorder typically endures the same mood for weeks, a person with BPD may experience intense bouts of anger, depression, and anxiety that may last only hours, or at most a day.5 These may be associated with episodes of impulsive aggression, self-injury, and drug or alcohol abuse. Distortions in cognition and sense of self can lead to frequent changes in long-term goals, career plans, jobs, friendships, gender identity, and values. Sometimes people with BPD view themselves as fundamentally bad, or unworthy. They may feel unfairly misunderstood or mistreated, bored, empty, and have little idea who they are. Such symptoms are most acute when people with BPD feel isolated and lacking in social support, and may result in frantic efforts to avoid being alone.

People with BPD often have highly unstable patterns of social relationships. While they can develop intense but stormy attachments, their attitudes towards family, friends, and loved ones may suddenly shift from idealization (great admiration and love) to devaluation (intense anger and dislike). Thus, they may form an immediate attachment and idealize the other person, but when a slight separation or conflict occurs, they switch unexpectedly to the other extreme and angrily accuse the other person of not caring for them at all. Even with family members, individuals with BPD are highly sensitive to rejection, reacting with anger and distress to such mild separations as a vacation, a business trip, or a sudden change in plans. These fears of abandonment seem to be related to difficulties feeling emotionally connected to important persons when they are physically absent, leaving the individual with BPD feeling lost and perhaps worthless. Suicide threats and attempts may occur along with anger at perceived abandonment and disappointments.

People with BPD exhibit other impulsive behaviors, such as excessive spending, binge eating and risky sex. BPD often occurs together with other psychiatric problems, particularly bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and other personality disorders.

Answer 2

Characteristics of BPD:

1. Self image disturbed, distorted or unstable.
2. Chronic feelings of emptiness.
3. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
4. Emotional instability.
5. Pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships.
6. Inappropriate, intense anger.
7. Stress related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
8. Impulsiveness in at least 2 areas that are self-damaging: spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating.
9. Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures or threats; self-mutilating behavior.

I have BPD. I have been in counseling for over 9 years. I am a recovering alcoholic w/6 years sobriety. BPD is treatable. See a clinical psychologist if you think you need help.

Get the book "Lost in the Mirror" by Richard A. Moskovitz, M.D. There are also support groups on the net.

Take care.

Answer 3

BPD is a very serious disorder. It is sort-of managable with good therapy.
Signs: Unlike the rocketing up and down of Bipolar 1 or 2 brought on by nothing, people with BPD often are triggered by other people, places or events. Many cases of BPD start with early childhood trauma and or abuse. Borders also have no sense of other people's space. If a border line becomes your friend, it is like having a leech burrow into our skin (no offense - my x-best buddy was a BPD we couldn't be friends anymore because she wouldn't leave me alone). Borders will think nothing of inviting themselves over for a stay of several weeks, while they crash @ your place they use your tv, borrow your car, eat your food and control every thought, word and action you do. If you let them, they will manipulate you into the most insane actions just to 'stay on their good side'. Unlike Bipolar 1 or 2 BPDs are never 'normal' they either love you or hate you and frankly, my psychiatrist is right "life is always better when a BPD hates you! Why do you think we went to school longer than regular doctors?"
Don't assume you are BPD or Bipolar, find a good psych. doc. and get an accurate diagnosis. These diseases are handled differently. Bipolar feel they are a burden to society and their familly and friends when they are depressed. That is normal for them to be clingy, irratating and irrational when they are down. The difference is that BPDs never feel like they are imposing, they just feel hurt and then they manipulate people - they just don't know that they are doing it. Both diseases are serious. Don't self diagnose - it isn't worth the mental work-out. Good luck -----

Answer 4

A person with Borderline Personality Disorder has difficulty modulating emotion. If he or she becomes upset, then the emotion takes over and anything can happen. It's as if there are no brakes on emotions. Rationally, they can do just fine, but put emotion into the mix, and it can quickly become out of control. Also, they are typically terrified of being abandoned and will do just about anything - manipulate, threaten, and act out in all kinds of ways to try to stop someone from leaving. They are miserable at some deep place inside and are searching for comfort. There is professional help for them, and they can improve dramatically.