Health's Book

Definition

Borderline personality disorder is a condition in which a person makes impulsive actions, and has an unstable mood and chaotic relationships.

Symptoms

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)