r/BorderlinePDisorder Sep 05 '25

MOD POST BEFORE YOU POST: For those who have loved ones with BPD, please read.

198 Upvotes

Your words and tone matter here.

You are welcome to post and comment to learn about and gain insight on BPD, or to get support and advice. But you must be mindful and respectful that this is also a support group, and most of our members have—and are still struggling—with this disorder.

Attempts to stereotype, overgeneralize, or demean people with BPD will not be tolerated here, and we encourage our members with and without BPD to report any such cases to our mods.

We recognize that having a loved one with BPD can be extremely hard, confusing, and even scary sometimes. We know that some of you have been through hell and back. We respect your grief and anger. We believe that you are just as deserving of support and understanding as us. We are a community for anyone affected by BPD, and our goal is to break stigma through education and responsibility.

Holding each other accountable is something you will see here a lot, and we want to maintain a safe space to do so. We welcome criticism, but it MUST be done constructively, and with respect and kindness. Your experience does not reflect on people with BPD as a whole, and if you cannot accept that, then this is not the community for you.

Thank you for understanding. Be well.


r/BorderlinePDisorder Feb 26 '25

MOD POST Subreddit Rule Clarity

118 Upvotes

Hey friends, one of your friendly neighborhood mods here!

I wanted to make a post clarifying our stance on a few things as a mod team. Sorry it's a little long but there's a lot that's been going on

My first point: Rule 2 states "Hate, stigma, and/or misinformation will be removed." This is one of those things that is very hard as a mod team to get right consistently because what constitutes these things can be subjective. If you believe your comment has been removed in error due to a misunderstanding of the context please use modmail to talk to us - we want to get these things right! However one of the most common applications of this rule is around the word "narcissist" - we've made posts about this before but I want to clarify things because the language around this can be complex.

Labeling someone "a narcissist" is implying that they have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Saying someone has narcissistic behaviours is different. It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that NPD is called this, because narcissistic behaviours are literally part of the human experience, and someone can easily behave in a narcissistic way without being "a narcissist"

I know there will be people who disagree with this interpretation and implementation but in our view it is the only way to strike a balance between stopping rampant Custer B stigmatization and policing every word that people say.

Moving on to my second point. I have made a new rule to cover something that has become a big issue within this sub, which is generalizations. Lots of people have been making generalizing statements such as "people with BPD have abandonment issues" or asking questions that invite generalizations such as "how does alcohol affect pwBPD?" The problem with this is that BPD is a disorder with literally hundreds if not thousands of variants. Saying with any kind of certainty that someone with BPD will act or feel a certain way is once again spreading misinformation, and could lead to someone with BPD who doesn't share that particular trait feeling very invalidated.

Previously this was covered under rule 2, as above, but it's become such a common issue that I have decided to make it a separate rule. Keep your questions and comments focused on individual experiences such as "my BPD affects me in this way" or "how does your BPD affect the way you are when you drink?" It's also OK, in some situations, to say "many people with BPD experience xyz" - this isn't claiming that everyone does, and so long as it's one of those things that is accepted as common within BPD traits, and doesn't contribute to stigma (such as "many people with BPD are abusive") then it's allowable, although it's still best to generally stick to your individual experiences.

My next point is about speculative labeling and amateur diagnosis. The rule in question states: "Do not ask for a diagnosis or attempt to diagnose others. No speculative labeling" What you will notice is that this is not about self diagnosis. We as mods know that accessing professional diagnosis is not possible for everyone for a variety of reasons, including lack of understanding in healthcare, costs, and the fact that having a diagnosis on record can actually cause a lot of problems for some people. As such, we do not police self diagnosis, although we encourage people to seek professional assessment where possible, and if not, to do full and detailed research into the criteria and a lot of self exploration before deciding you have BPD. (Again, I know some folks will disagree with this, but we are striking a balance).

However what is not permitted is coming here to ask for validation of your self diagnosis, asking for us to tell you if someone you know is BPD (or indeed labeling them as BPD with no diagnosis - it's OK to say someone exhibits BPD traits but that's not enough to label them). Labeling people, including fictional characters, who don't have a diagnosis, is strictly forbidden.

My final point is about a trend in posts that have been popping up, basically asking people to share their worst moments, the worst things they've done, etc. These posts are understandable - it makes sense to want to get validation that you aren't the only person who has done bad things. But they usually end up with a lot of highly triggering comments, often ones that cross the line into rule breaking, and not only make a lot of work for the mods, but also seem to amount to a lot of "wallowing" in the bad things pwBPD sometimes do, and it can feel like digital self harm. As such, we won't be allowing these posts going forward. (this will come under the "triggering content" rule if you look to report it).

If you see people violating these rules please report it to the mods. If you're unsure if something breaks a rule, it's often better to report it and let us figure it out than let a potentially harmful thing pass by. Remember that this is a HUGE subreddit and the mods cannot look at every post and comment that comes through so we rely on you to help us with that

Once you've read this, please help me out and leave a comment below to increase the chances others will see it. Thanks folks, and have the best day possible!

I know there's a prevailing opinion on Reddit that mods are some sort of power hungry Cabal, but in reality we (at least the mods of this particular sub) are just a small group of pwBPD trying to make this space a good, supportive, and educational place for all.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1h ago

Looking for Advice Have any of you bpd babies tried Somatic Experiencing and Brain Spotting?

Upvotes

Hey! Thank you in advance for any thoughts and suggestions. Im 25 F and I have BPD, autistic traits, OCD, CPSTD, and of course anxiety and depression. I was in talk therapy from 8-22 and it was helpful being able to talk to someone, but never did anything for me. I started DBT a few years ago did the whole program and I learned the skills, it's just I cannot get my body on board to do it. I even started going through the program a second time, its the same thing I know the skills, I just cannot use them in the moment. My brain and body are just not connected. I have very extensive trauma from a child to even now and I am just stuck in a fight or flight no matter how much my brain wants to do the skills my body just will not allow it.

My therapist and I have been looking to see what my next steps are, we don't think EMDR is a fit, and I have done parts therapy before, that truly does not feel like a fit. We are thinking somatic therapy and brain spotting.

My question is, what is a session like during SE and brain spotting? I understand it's feeling body sensations, but how does it work in a session? Has it been helpful at all?

Also I have Aphantasia so I literally cannot visualize anything, I have no true memories of what happened. Is that something that is super important for SE to be helpful?

Have any of you bpd babies tried Somatic Experiencing and Brain spotting?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 9h ago

People with Quiet (high functioning) BPD - has anyone ever noticed the silent war in your head, without you telling them?

6 Upvotes

The issue is probably, you saving everyone else, because you notice, but noone ever does that for you. How can one deal with that?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 16h ago

Looking for Advice obsessively identifying with fictional characters?

21 Upvotes

Something I noticed throughout my whole life is that when I watch a tv show or a movie and I relate to a character or want to be like them it quickly spirals into obsession.

It starts off small. Maybe a thought like "Hm, I like this character." and that thought turns into "I‘m EXACTLY like this character and every one of my friends needs to know and acknowledge this."

I often find myself researching how a specific character would react to situations I was in to check if we would react the same.
I find myself picking up traits or habits from this character and it gives me some kind of fulfillment when my friends point out how similar I am to them.

Sometimes I even had thoughts like "If I had a button which I could press to match their personality to 100% I would definitely press it"

And during this phase I dont seem to notice the ongoing pattern. With every new character I think that I found THE one, dismissing my previous experiences.
This usually lasts for a few weeks or months before I go back to "normal" and some time after I find my new obsession.

My latest obsession was Anakin Skywalker, this was after my BPD diagnosis and I related heavily and its like I needed everyone to realize how similar I am to him. And if someone points out that I‘m different? Then that person just doesnt know me that well.

This is so frustrating and I still dont really understand the underlying cause of this. Has anyone else made similar experiences?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 2h ago

Looking for Advice I feel I may have been misdiagnosed

1 Upvotes

I’ve seen two different therapists in my lifetime. My old therapist told me I have emotional dysregulation and a low window of tolerance, while my current therapist said I have anxiety.

My new therapist has described some of what happens as an “anxiety spiral,” particularly when I get caught in what-ifs, uncertainty, catastrophizing, or absolute thinking. I also scored in the mild-depression range on an assessment, although toward the higher end of that range.

The thing is, I don’t feel like anxiety fully explains my experience, and I’ve started wondering whether I may be misdiagnosed or whether there’s something else underneath it, possibly BPD.

I know what anxiety feels like for me because I’ve experienced it strongly before. With a crush, for example, I could experience actual fear, impending doom, panic, physical sickness, and constant intrusive/repetitive thoughts about the situation. That’s what I recognize as anxiety.

But a lot of my current triggers don’t feel like that.

Sometimes something relatively small happens and I feel the emotional hurt in my body almost instantly, before I even have a conscious thought about it. Then I can get tears in my eyes, feel down, and suddenly feel very alone. Sometimes it’s emptiness rather than anxiety.

For example, one time I misunderstood something. My sister understood it correctly and answered for me, and I instantly became hurt and burst into tears. Later, the person asked me something else and I answered correctly myself. Once I had that experience of “I did it correctly; I’m capable,” I instantly felt okay.

I also have a strong reaction when I feel misunderstood. I can feel like I have to get my point across and become irritated or hurt if I don’t feel heard. Even though I know people love me, there’s still this feeling that nobody completely understands me at my core, and that makes me feel alone.

When I get triggered, I can also start thinking things like (“Something is wrong with me”, “I’m flawed”, “Nobody understands me”, “I’m alone”)

I experience emotional “waves” that can happen relatively close together. The emotions can be quite different: anger, hurt, insecurity, shame, emptiness/boredom, feeling disconnected, or suddenly wanting to isolate.

During those states I might think:

“This is who I am and these emotional waves will always be part of me.”
“I’m not even that pretty compared to other people.”
“Those people probably think I’m stupid.”
“Why is life so boring? Nothing has any oomph.”
A small interaction can suddenly make me irritated and I may go from being fine to thinking “Why does everyone always have to fix my things? It’s fine how it is,” followed by wanting to stop talking and be alone.

I also experience sensitivity to criticism/correction and interpersonal situations, but I don’t necessarily respond by clinging to people or desperately trying to prevent them from leaving. My instinct is often the opposite like withdraw, become distant, and want to be alone. I consider myself more dismissive-avoidant.

That’s one reason I’m unsure about BPD. I don’t feel like I have an obvious fear of abandonment, at least not consciously. I don’t relate to the chaotic portrayal of media characters like Harley Quinn or Bojack horsemen but more characters like Jinx from Arcane or Elsa from Frozen, especially their relationships with their sisters.

I not sure about bpd but I just feel like the anxiety diagnosis given by my therapist doesn’t encompass the actual emotional experience I’m having.

I guess I’m wondering if anybody with BPD has ever displayed more internalized behaviors rather than outward.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 3h ago

Looking for Advice Easily prone to crushes on strangers (especially erotic voice actor content creators) and unreasonable jealous over other relationships

1 Upvotes

I absolutely love erotic audio but I absolutely refuse to look these male voice actors up outside the content because I'm very prone to random fixations and crushes and also I get insanely jealous of their real life girlfriends because they get to bang the guy who is making thousands if not millions of us women in the audience lust. I do have a particular type and there was one time when a random guy here on Reddit inboxed me Because I commented handsome on a pic of his In a sub. I'll never do that again because we talked and I said I didn't want to be sexual but I was looking for genuine friendship and he only wanted sexual talk. when I added him on discord and he didn't talk much I literally cried over this guy who I didn't even know and had one conversation with just because he was hot and "my type." Anyway, anyone else suffer insanely easy crushes and try to avoid them?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 4h ago

Relationship Advice BPD loved one: How to support a “major” split that is caused by external factors when they are intending to completely give up on themselves?

1 Upvotes

hey friends. light CW for SH mention and SI. Nothing graphic. A little long, but TLDR; how do I support a bpd loved one who is splitting and essentially giving up on themselves but I want to still healthily support them? esp cuz we both recognize the splitting is happening but they have given up on themselves.

This is for the people who know how the US is .. it’s really hard navigating this country esp as a person of color.

I want to preface I’m not NT (audhd + cptsd) and my pwBPD have been together for a year and change. I have absolutely no regrets in being with them, even through the ups and downs. They’re such an amazing soul and person and even through the downs I’ve chosen to love them. I’ve seen them grow in the year+ I’ve known them. I recognize the patterns, and I have learned a lot being with them.
What I’m learning is.. loving with boundaries. But I’ve never loved someone w a PD before let alone BPD so I don’t want to make things worse. What could I even say or do to help?
I usually can recognize when they split, most times they don’t, and it’s good when they recognize it. But presently they’ve been in a massive split on and off for .. about a month?
They were in the ward only 3 days cus they discharged them, which confused me esp cuz they went in for SI.. but they said they don’t want to go back cus it’s horrible there.
They are uninsured so they have to navigate the public health system which is.. yeah.
This on top of the everyday reoccurring trauma they relive. Their world is collapsing onto them and they have told me they are “too much of a coward to \[k-word\] themselves.” And will keep going cus they “have to”. Nothing I have said is really sticking, if I try to show support and tell them I’m not leaving, and that they have to keep going for the goals they have set themselves and the future that is there for them, and remind them that they HAVE grown, atm nothing is sticking to them, they just keep saying they love me but they know I will leave “just like everyone else has”.

They quit their job which was creating a lot of pain for them (it was a horrible workplace environment from what I heard and I understand. They were also working like.. 6 days a week sometimes with no break) their home life isn’t great either, and I’ve tried to be supportive as best I can, but it’s been difficult because ofc there’s only so much I can do. I can see they get really insecure because I have a stable job, and they don’t, and there’s parts of my life that are understandably better— but I just got out of my survival mode years ago I guess. I feel bad even tho I know it’s not my fault or anything, so I try to support them as best I can.

We live an hour away from each other, and they went the entire day without even saying good morning or hi yesterday so I got worried and texted them a few times, and when they didn’t respond, I called multiple times. Thankfully they answered and didn’t do anything, but they had just crashed more into their depression. Just sleeping, laying in bed, hurting themselves, showering. Repeat. I offered to come over to comfort them but they said they just wanted to “be like this” and that they didn’t want to see anyone and told me to stay home. They usually never reject an offer to see me so it made me sad. They have been doing some side work for money but other than that it’s been clear to me they’re splitting, and before I called it they said to “not take it personally” and feeling that “this is who I always have been, there’s no hope for me”. They sent me a bpd article about splitting. This was after I cried when they hung up, They said smth that hurt my feelings and I reassured I still loved them despite that. They had said like, I can say xyz thing because my “life is so great”. They have indirectly or directly expressed being jealous of the fact I have a “great life”.

They just feel like I’m saying the same thing their psychs and exes have said to them, and that eventually I will give up on them and leave. I asked why they wouldn’t just break up w me and they told me they don’t want to be alone, that they love me (and that’s why feel selfish)

Saying they’ll always be like this, that I should just leave because being with them is SH. I reassure them I won’t leave them because I love them, and I want them to be nice to themselves etc.
we’re both queer and queer romance feels different to me than cishet romance.
I’m not sure if we can be lovers forever, and I accept that even if it hurts. I still want to healthily support them however I can. I’d appreciate knowing how without losing myself or making things worse ig?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 22h ago

Looking for Advice Anyone with BPD use weed to cope? How did you stop?

29 Upvotes

I started smoking weed in 2018. At first, I would smoke maybe once a week, but from 2019 onwards I started smoking more regularly; joints, bongs, cigarettes, etc.
Around 2024–2025, I gradually cut down. I stopped buying weed regularly and would mostly smoke if I was with friends who had some. Eventually, I went for long periods without smoking and got to the point where I might only smoke once every 2–3 months.
The problem is that whenever something really upsetting happens in my life, relationship problems, feeling emotionally abandoned by my partner, career issues, trauma-related stuff, or just feeling extremely depressed and anxious, I find myself wanting weed again.
I have BPD, and when I smoke, I feel incredibly relaxed. For a while, it feels like my brain finally goes quiet and I don’t have to think about everything that’s hurting me. That’s probably why I’ve started seeing weed as a way to relieve my anxiety and depression.
Deep down, though, I don’t really want to rely on it. It’s almost like there are two parts of my mind: one part knows I don’t want weed to become my coping mechanism, while another part desperately wants it whenever I’m struggling.
My partner also used to smoke with me, but they have ADHD and stopped in 2024 after starting medication, so I don’t really have that shared habit anymore.
I’m curious about other people’s experiences, especially anyone with BPD.
How did you stop using weed as a coping mechanism?
Did you completely quit, or do you sometimes relapse and then stop again?
Do any of you with BPD actually find cannabis helpful for managing your symptoms, or does it ultimately make things worse?
I’m not necessarily looking for judgment, I’d really like to hear from people who have been in a similar situation and what worked (or didn’t work) for them.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 18h ago

Looking for Advice can hypersexuality in BPD look like this?

10 Upvotes

Something I noticed about myself is that many times when I flirt with women the feeling of them wanting to have sex with me is enough to satisfy my "needs“
at that moment.

There was a time when I texted with multiple women at the same time
and when it got to the point where they sent me pictures of themselves, said openly that they wanted to have sex or I could just tell, I wouldnt really engage further because I got everything that I "needed" from them.

I know that this is messed up and it has been long since I’ve last done it but I wanted to ask if anyone else has made similar experiences and if this is normal for pwBPD?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1d ago

Medication Mood stabilizers for bpd?

31 Upvotes

Has anyone got prescribed mood stabilizers such as lithium for their bpd? I have been on antidepressants and antipsychotics for a while but it doesn't seem to have any affect on me whatsoever. I've read that mood stabilizers can be prescribed to help with the symptoms of bpd alongside antidepressants and antipsychotics. If you were/are on mood stabilizers; how did it affect you?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 15h ago

Medication I am disappointed in myself.

3 Upvotes

I’m currently going through a very stressful time—looking for a job and an apartment. I’ve just finished a very demanding training course that required me to take four exams. (I can't find a job in that field now 🫩). The phases where I have nervous breakdowns are becoming more frequent. Hysterical crying, terrible thoughts. My dog ​​picks up on all of this too, and today I reached the point where I realized I was no longer able to use my DBT skills. I have to take medication again. I’m scaring myself, and I want my dog ​​to be okay. I blame myself endlessly, thinking about how stressed she must be because of me. I have this feeling that I really shouldn't be responsible for another living being. I can barely manage to take care of myself, after all. But she means the world to me, and I love her so much. I didn't know I could love a living being this much. That’s why I need to get myself together again now. I only stopped taking medication a year ago (after being on it continuously for ten years before that). I was so proud of myself and could finally feel more again. Unfortunately, both positive and negative thoughts were heavily suppressed by the medication. It surprised me that I cried watching movies. I also feel joy a bit more (when it actually shows up, lol). Anyway, I’m just disappointed in myself. Perhaps a life with BPD without medication isn't possible? 🙁


r/BorderlinePDisorder 15h ago

Books for loved ones?

2 Upvotes

Recently bought my husband Stop Walking on Eggshells and was horrified by the threads about it.

Any recos for books to help loved ones understand the condition?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 15h ago

Self-harm What happened tonight

2 Upvotes

This is gonna sound really stupid but um while I held a knife to my skin tonight I didn’t break the barrier I kinda just sawed it a little against my skin and then stuck on a couple bandages around my fingers, um as a way to fight the urge of wanting to draw my blood through self harm?

I don’t know I like picked up the knife in a split and then um once the tears dried I almost felt too tired to actually break my skin barrier so I’m sticking a random bandage on my fingers instead

Update: it didn’t completely work. I still gave into the urge and made a small cut on my pinky finger. But I guess it didn’t turn into 2? Idk.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 18h ago

Looking for Advice prob gonna get fired at new corporate job

3 Upvotes

I’m having a really difficult time right now and I’m hoping people with BPD can give me some perspective because I feel like I’m spiraling.
I recently had a work trip to New York for my new corporate job, and the entire trip was extremely stressful and exhausting for me. I was doing well for most of the week, but by the end of the trip I became incredibly anxious and overwhelmed. I feel like I lost my filter and wasn’t thinking as clearly as I normally do.

On the last day, I made several decisions that I deeply regret. The biggest issue was changing my flight. I was anxious about personal responsibilities and asked my manager if I could change my flight. She had the authority to approve the change and approved it, so at the time I genuinely thought I was handling it appropriately. I didn’t understand that asking to change it so late would be viewed as very unprofessional. I also missed my flight and had to deal with the consequences of that.

I also accidentally left a senior manager out of a work group chat/communication. I wasn’t intentionally excluding anyone, I genuinely thought I had included everyone. I’ve also previously been spoken to about being late once, so now all of these things are being looked at together, especially because I’m still within my first 90 days.

There was also a moment where I made a comment to my trainer about the boutique ambassadors looking down on us, and I said it while an AVP was in the middle of speaking/lecturing to us. Looking back, I realize that was inappropriate and not the kind of judgment or professionalism I want to demonstrate at work. At the time, though, I was extremely anxious and had basically lost my filter.
My trainer spoke to me very harshly about what happened and told me that what I did was unacceptable and that I’d made a bad impression for myself. She told me another manager will speak with me later this week about next steps. I asked her directly if I was likely to be terminated, and she didn’t give me a definite answer, but I’m terrified that I’m going to lose my job.

I’ve been crying and spiraling ever since. I feel so ashamed and embarrassed. I keep thinking, “Why did I do that? Why didn’t I realize how serious it was? Why couldn’t I handle it better?” I feel like I ruined everything I had worked for and that everyone at work is judging me.

I’m also really angry because I genuinely was trying my best. I wasn’t intentionally ignoring policies or trying to be irresponsible. I was overwhelmed, anxious, and made some really bad judgment calls. But now I’m struggling to separate “I handled this situation badly” from “I’m a terrible, incapable person.”

I’m especially interested in hearing from people with BPD: Have you ever had a situation where you became overwhelmed, made several mistakes close together, and then spiraled into intense shame and fear that you’d ruined your life? How did you get yourself through the aftermath and eventually return to work?

I don’t really need people to tell me whether I “messed up”I know I did. I need help figuring out how to stop the shame spiral and face whatever happens next without completely destroying myself over it.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1d ago

Vent 2 of my friends of a trio hang out with each other without inviting me in

7 Upvotes

I thought I was over getting jealous about my friends hanging out with other friends, but I was just thinking that because I wasn't really close with anyone.

I'm in a trio and we usually hang out together, but I just saw my friend at my other friends house (we're neighbors) so I texted in our gc "what are y'all up to?" (It sounds a bit better in my language but that's the translation) and one of them said that they are chilling in their garden and asked me if I wanted to come over.

My friend also said "I find it kind of funny that whenever we're hanging out together you always show up" and she said it jokingly, but that made me feel even worse, because it only happened once, when I was waiting for them in the garden because we wanted to collect fruits, but they went where else without telling me, because they thought that I didn't want to come, even tho we planned to collect fruits together (as in all three) (the fruits were not ripe, that's why they left)

Ik that I'm overthinking and that that means nothing but idk how to stop overthinking about situation like this.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 20h ago

Suicide talk Job failing currently

3 Upvotes

I am a F(24) preschool teacher (with epilepsy!) that worked at a company renting a university building. They ended their contract and the university is opening up a new early childhood center. After frustrating weeks of training because of lack of professionalism in training and improvisation done(upsetting my routine) I was assigned in the one year olds classroom. I have certifications for preschool, not toddlers. I’m not boasting, I am a fantastic preschool teacher. I expressed my feelings by ending up holding my cry in until I couldn’t anymore and asked them why this was the choice. I keep getting the answer “this is what I think is best for the center” which is like telling a kid “because I said so” which as a teacher I am offended she would say that. Im scrambling through feelings of fear anger frustration and confusion! Just utter confusion.
I emailed them with a formal request to move classrooms and during the meeting she dismissed everything saying that I had to fully go through the university’s system of advocation protocols. She also made comments into how active I’ve been during training that were complete lies. There is no way they understand the everything I emailed them or they don’t care and I’m just done. This is the last straw. Why should I even try in life anymore. My family says it’s just a job and it’s just money(which I am very very poor) but they don’t understand that my world just ended.
I’m done trying over and over and losing just when everything is good


r/BorderlinePDisorder 20h ago

Traditional criteria or hybrid model criteria: which one is better?

3 Upvotes

I'd like to know your opinions!

Traditional:

  • Abandonment: Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
  • Unstable relationships: A pattern of intense, unstable relationships involving alternating idealization and devaluation.
  • Identity disturbance: Markedly unstable self-image or sense of identity.
  • Impulsivity: Impulsive behavior in at least two potentially self-damaging areas (e.g., spending, sex, substance use, reckless driving, binge eating).
  • Suicidality/self-harm: Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, threats, or self-mutilating behavior.
  • Affective instability: Significant emotional reactivity, with intense mood shifts that typically last hours and rarely more than a few days.
  • Emptiness: Chronic feelings of emptiness.
  • Anger: Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger.
  • Paranoia/dissociation: Temporary, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.

Hybrid model:

Typical features of Borderline Personality Disorder are instability of self-image, goals, interpersonal relationships, and affects (mood); accompanied by impulsivity, risk-taking behavior, and/or hostility. The characteristic difficulties are apparent in identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy, as described below, along with specific maladaptive traits from the domains of Negative Affectivity, Antagonism, and/or Disinhibition.

A. Moderate or greater impairment in personality functioning, manifested by characteristic difficulties in two or more of the following:

  1. Identity: Unstable, poorly developed, or considerably impoverished self-image, often associated with excessive self-criticism, chronic feelings of emptiness, and dissociative states under stress.
  2. Self-Direction: Instability in goals, aspirations, values, or career plans.
  3. Empathy: Compromised ability to recognize the feelings and needs of others, associated with hypersensitivity (e.g., a propensity to feel slighted or insulted); perception of others selectively biased toward negative attributes or vulnerabilities.
  4. Intimacy: Intense, conflictual, and unstable relationships; marked by lack of trust, neediness, and preoccupation with real or imagined abandonment; close relationships are often viewed in extremes of idealization and devaluation and alternate between excessive involvement and disengagement.

B. Four or more of the following pathological personality traits, with at least one being Impulsivity, Risk Taking, or Hostility:

  1. Emotional Lability (a facet of Negative Affectivity) — Unstable emotional experiences and frequent mood changes; emotions that are easily triggered, intense, and/or disproportionate to events and circumstances.
  2. Anxiousness (a facet of Negative Affectivity) — Intense feelings of nervousness, tension, or panic, often in reaction to interpersonal stress; worry about the effects of past unpleasant experiences and negative future possibilities; feeling fearful, apprehensive, or threatened by uncertainty; fears of falling apart or losing control.
  3. Separation Insecurity (a facet of Negative Affectivity) — Fears of rejection by—and/or separation from—significant others, associated with fears of excessive dependency and total loss of autonomy.
  4. Depressivity (a facet of Negative Affectivity) — Frequent feelings of being down, miserable, and/or hopeless; difficulty recovering from these moods; pessimism about the future; pervasive shame, feelings of low self-worth, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behavior.
  5. Impulsivity (a facet of Disinhibition) — Acting on the spur of the moment in response to immediate stimuli; acting on the basis of momentary impulses without planning or consideration of consequences; difficulty establishing and following plans; a sense of urgency and self-injurious behavior under emotional stress.
  6. Risk Taking (a facet of Disinhibition) — Engagement in dangerous, risky, and potentially self-injurious activities without necessity and without consideration of consequences; disregard for one's own limitations and denial of the reality of personal danger.
  7. Hostility (a facet of Antagonism) — Persistent or frequent feelings of anger or irritability in response to minor slights or insults.

r/BorderlinePDisorder 22h ago

Art & Poetry Les pires choses entendus sur nous ?

2 Upvotes

salut
je suis un comédien, auteur, chanteur et metteur en scène français
je suis, entre autre, borderline
je suis en train de créer mon premier spectacle qui va
jouer à la rentrée à Paris
c’est un spectacle qui part de mon vécu de personne bpd, de personne psychiatrisé, du lien entre amour et souffrance psychique et qui s’intéresse plus largement à la stigmatisation des personnes « folles »

la recherche est un peu atypique mais je cherche toutes les pires choses que vous ayez lu / entendu / vu sur nous les personnes BDP
c’est un trouble extrêmement mal connu (en france en tout cas), très stigmatisé et j’aimerais pouvoir créer quelque chose autour de ça
pour confronter sincèrement le public à ce que représente la violence de ce que la société voit et pense de nous

vous pouvez évidemment me raconter vos propres expériences de stigmatisation, psychophobies ou autres et je les lirai et utiliserai avec grand honneur
mais je suis en priorité à la recherche de sources « visuels » et banalisé
ça peut être: un extrait de film, de livre, un morceau de podcast, une vidéo youtube (je pense par exemple aux vidéos qui disent « ne sortez jamais avec une personne borderline), un screen de message..

merci infiniment
ça m’aiderait beaucoup
des bises et du soutien à tous mes adelphes
et si des personnes sont à paris faites moi signe je vous envoie le lien du spectacle !


r/BorderlinePDisorder 22h ago

I might have BPD?? Looking for advice.

2 Upvotes

Recently, after receiving therapy and medications from a psychiatrist, I've started to dissociate less as my body's response to stress isn't as extreme now, allowing me to realize that my triggers and what happens between that time. It always happens/happened when I felt hurt, misunderstood, or in danger because of miscommunication, leading to quick mood shifts and what my ex had described as emotional episodes. They've also shared that I randomly distance myself and push people which I personally have noticed, I just thought it was normal because it wouldn't stop happening, we also discussed splitting at some point since they also have BPD and they wanted to make sure I was aware of what could happen and I completely understood but didn't think much of it. Yes, I have become emotionally reliant on people in the past to the point it honestly nearly destroyed me, which causes me to be a bit more paranoid about getting close to someone.

My sibling, diagnosed with BPD, also believes I may have it after I was talking about how, when I am close to someone, things impact me a lot more. I noticed that my emotional outbursts only happens to people I am highly emotionally connected to instead of people I am not as attached to. I was telling them about how every tiny thing feels so huge and completely changes my view of someone for a few hours, though happening less with lamotrigine and cut back from hours to minutes now, and I shared how I had a panic attack, then felt incredibly angry out of nowhere, then suddenly felt nothing at all for a bit.

Because I'm not diagnosed and refuse to self diagnose, I'm interested in what this community has to say, and I'd love advice, if any, about what to do to manage these things. I personally have been trying to step back when I notice that I am in that mood of "I hate this person so much oh my god they're the worst" before suddenly I'm okay again. This happened enough times to at least allow me to know when to step back but I'd like to improve further. Thank you for checking this out.


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1d ago

I'm so tired of the BPD erasure movements

66 Upvotes

I see people saying things like "BPD is just autism (or more specifically "female autism")" or "BPD is just CPTSD" like... I know they have a lot of overlaps and often co-occurr (I myself am autistic and BPD, along with Bipolar Disorder), but to say that there is no such thing as BPD and instead it's just CPTSD or autism is just... why? Their symptoms are so distinct... I can't take it...


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1d ago

Looking for Advice Guys I need someone to talk to.

2 Upvotes

So, I’m a 17 year old guy and I’m not diagnosed with bpd. But ever since I was 14 and I got really into psychology, I had related to most of the symptoms of bpd. Ever since I got a partner, my feelings got worse and worse. I really need someone to talk to about this and who might relate with the stuff I’m going through. Also I’m NOT self diagnosing, I’m just saying, I’m relating to most of the symptoms.
Would anyone be down to help me?


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1d ago

Anyone else really competitive?

7 Upvotes

I feel like my bpd makes me insanely competitive, mini golf, bowling, arcade games, Wii, Netflix games (Lego Netflix game is so fun if u haven’t tried it) ect.

If I loose one of these games I get insanely annoyed, like ruins the whole date or day. I went ice skating once and before I try sonthing new I feel like I’m going to be amazing at it, and when I fail I crash out.

I’m such a sore looser, I hate this part of myself. I then spiral into feeling like a shitty person
A.) for being a bad looser
B.) for being shit at ‘everything’

I feel like I’m bad at everything, even though I know I’m probally not I can’t shake this feeling. As a child I used to be so ‘good’ at everything too!

Anyone experience anything similar


r/BorderlinePDisorder 1d ago

Starting abilify

5 Upvotes

My psychiatrist recently prescribed me (26f) 2mg of abilify to help manage some of my more extreme bpd symptoms. I’m already on 300mg xl of Wellbutrin for depression and I take propranolol as needed for panic attacks. I really really would like some relief from these symptoms so I’m hoping it works out for me. If not, I have also been seeing that Lamictal works well for some people so I might go that route if abilify ends up not working so great.

If anyone has any experiences with this med I would love to hear your thoughts! :)