Symptoms & Signs
Relationships with others are intense and unstable. They swing wildly from love to hate and back again. People with BPD will frantically try to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
BPD patients may also be uncertain about their identity or self-image. They tend to see things in terms of extremes, either all good or all bad. They also typically view themselves as victims of circumstance and take little responsibility for themselves or their problems.
Other symptoms include:
- Feelings of emptiness and boredom
- Frequent displays of inappropriate anger
- Impulsiveness with money, substance abuse, sexual relationships, binge eating, or shoplifting
- Intolerance of being alone
- Recurrent acts of crisis such as wrist cutting, overdosing, or self-injury (such as cutting)
Diagnosis & Tests
Personality disorders are diagnosed based on psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms.
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Borderline personality disorder : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Borderline personality disorder : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Borderline personality disorder : Treatment
Review Date : 10/17/2008
Reviewed By : Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Timothy A. Rogge, MD, private practice in Psychiatry, Kirkland, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
