Borderline personality disorder
Overview
Read about borderline personality disorder. Personality disorders can cause a range of distressing symptoms and patterns of abnormal behaviour.
Symptoms
The symptoms of BPD can be grouped into 4 main areas: emotional instability – the psychological term for this is affective dysregulationdisturbed patterns of thinking or perception – cognitive distortions or perceptual distortionsimpulsive behaviourintense but unstable relationships with others emotional instability – the psychological term for this is affective dysregulation disturbed patterns of thinking or perception – cognitive distortions or perceptual distortions impulsive behaviour intense but unstable relationships with others The symptoms of a personality disorder may range from mild to severe and usually emerge in adolescence, persisting into adulthood.
Causes
The causes of BPD are unclear. BPD appears to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. People with BPD come from many different backgrounds, but most will have experienced some kind of trauma or neglect as children.
When to see a doctor
If you're experiencing symptoms of BPD, make an appointment with a GP. They may ask about: how you feelyour recent behaviourwhat sort of impact your symptoms have had on your quality of life how you feel your recent behaviour what sort of impact your symptoms have had on your quality of life This is to rule out other more common mental health conditions, such asdepression, and to make sure there's no immediate risk to your health and wellbeing. You may also findMinda useful website. Find out more about how BPD is diagnosed