Borderline personality disorder is a severe mental health challenge that can affect every aspect of someone’s life. Its hallmarks include ongoing relationship instability, mood swings, a distorted self-image and difficulty managing emotions and behavior. An inconsistent sense of self may make people living with BPD feel as if they’re on a roller coaster, with frequent changes in their worldview that can be confusing and frightening. This BPD Awareness Month, what are some traits to look for if you suspect you have borderline personality disorder?
BPD Symptoms
People with BPD can be highly volatile. Some people compare this condition to a live wire or an exposed nerve ending. Once you get upset, you have difficulty calming down, which can lead to impulsivity and reckless behavior.
Warning signs of BPD can include the following borderline personality disorder traits. If you identify with several of these, you can benefit from reaching out to a mental health professional for a diagnosis.
- You have an extreme fear of abandonment, rejection or separation.
- You struggle with a rapidly changing self-image and sense of worth.
- You have ongoing feelings of emptiness.
- You have a history of relationship ups and downs, such as putting someone on a pedestal one day, then suddenly believing they dislike you.
- Your emotions can shift dramatically from one moment to the next.
- You’ve often engaged in behavior that you know is risky or dangerous, such as reckless driving, spending sprees, substance abuse, unprotected sex or self-sabotage.
- You have experimented with self-harm or threatened suicide.
- You have intense mood swings that can range from happiness to anxiety or shame.
- You frequently lose your temper, lash out or start physical fights with people around you.
What Causes BPD?
The prevailing hypothesis among many mental health professionals is that borderline personality disorder traits arise due to a complex combination of genetics and environmental factors, such as adult or childhood trauma. As a result, your fight-or-flight response might be on high alert, making situations feel excessively stressful to you. Borderline personality traits rarely appear on their own. Instead, clinicians often treat BPD alongside a co-occurring disorder such as depression, anxiety, an eating disorder or substance abuse.
Fortunately, the human brain is a highly plastic organ. That means it’s possible for your brain to adapt to various experiences. Every time you try a new, healthy coping response or self-care technique, you can create new neural pathways and change how you think and feel. Some approaches to managing BPD symptoms, such as mindfulness meditation, can even alter your brain activity. And the more you practice, these tools will begin to feel like second nature.
Women’s Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment in Arizona
While BPD might make you feel hopeless, it’s essential to get the help you need. In Canyon Crossing’s borderline personality disorder treatment, a trained therapist can diagnose you and set you on a personalized plan to manage your mental health. We offer dual-diagnosis treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental illnesses in a compassionate, women’s-only environment. Connect with us today to learn more.
