VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Tomasz Nęcki

Recently, more and more is said about borderline personality - this problem is suspected by both patients and their relatives. There are many symptoms of this disorder and they include, among others, emotional lability, a tendency to go from extremes to extremes, or a tendency to engage in impulsive behavior. What exactly can the symptoms of borderline be and what can be done to help the patient cope with their difficulties?

Personality disorders area fairly wide group of mental disorders , the essence of which is the presence of fixed, distorted patterns of perceiving reality and thinking in patients, through which they experience various types of difficulties on a daily basis. There are many types, incl. anankastic, histrionic or antisocial personality. The most talked about, however, is a completely different personality disorder, which is borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder attracts the most attention, probably because its symptoms are quite easily noticeable. Nowadays, more and more often you can encounter a situation where borderline is suspected by a person who really… does not have these disorders at all. It is similar with the relatives who attribute unexpected behavior of a close person to this personality disorder.In the end, borderline is not as easy to recognize as one might suppose.

Manifestations of borderline personality: insecurity about oneself

Borderline patients often experience significant crises involving themselves. They may grapple withconsiderable uncertainty about themselves- they have difficulty determining who they really are, but also have problems with choosing what they would like to do in their lives. Uncertainty may also include the sphere of sexual preferences - often it is very difficult for patients to define, inter alia, who they are actually sexually attracted to. This instability can lead to a significant deterioration in functioning, as it may be difficult for the patient to build a sense of self-worth and identity.

Signs of borderline personality: emotional instability

One ofA more noticeable manifestation of borderline personality disorder is emotional instability. Associated with the disorder can be significantmood swings- the patient may suddenly, suddenly become depressed, when just a moment earlier was cheerful and laughing. Even minor failures or difficulties experienced on a daily basis can cause a significant drop in mood. In the course of borderline,significant irritability and aggressive behaviorcan be encountered. People with this type of personality disorder may have even severe anxiety symptoms, which can also negatively affect their mood.

Manifestations of borderline personality: the pattern of entering into relationships

Patients with borderline personality disorder tend to enter intovery unstable, turbulent relationships with other people . The reason for this is, for example, that it happensit is very easy for them to go from extremes to extremes- they may suddenly feel only negative emotions towards a person whom they have professed recently love. Borderline patients can bothidealize their loved onesand devalue them significantly. It can certainly be said that the relationship with a person who has borderline personality disorder is not an easy one. In the relationship, various quarrels can often take place, in addition, the disturbed patient may not notice his mistakes and blame him for any failure in the relationships of different people, but not himself.

Read also: Dependent Personality Disorder - Causes and Symptoms. TEST for dependent personality

Signs of borderline personality: fear of rejection

Relationship difficulties in people with borderline are partly due totheir severe fear of rejection . It is worth emphasizing here that this fear is usually unfounded. Patients can take any action to avoid being exposed to feelings of abandonment. Sometimes they almost try to keep by force the people they consider to be close, but sometimes it is quite the opposite. Well, the fear of rejection associated with borderline rejection can be so strong that, not wanting to feel it, the patient … himself will end certain relationships long before the other person could even think of it.

Manifestations of borderline personality: self-destructive behavior and excessive impulsiveness

Just as people react differently to the perceived stress or tension, borderline patients quite often resort to self-destructive behavior in difficult situations . They can be different: some people self-injure, others resort topsychoactive substances such as drugs or alcohol. In the case of borderline,excessive impulsivityis also common, which may result in patients often entering into conflicts or undertaking risky behaviors, such as, for example :

  • sexual contacts with unknown people,
  • fast car driving,
  • recklessly spending money.

Quite a serious problem, also related to borderline, isrepeated, multiple suicide attemptsor threats to commit suicide for your loved ones.

Read also: Is schizophrenia hereditary?

Signs of borderline personality: where to go?

The above described are possible, but not all, symptoms of borderline. It is worth emphasizing here that when suspecting a personality disorder in yourself or a loved one,it is not enough to read even detailed descriptions of this unit- in order to obtain a diagnosis, it is necessary to go to the appropriate specialists.

Treatment of personality disorders is based on psychotherapy. For this reason, noticing the manifestations of borderline,it is best to go to a psychotherapist . Together with a specialist, it is possible to focus on the difficulties experienced on a daily basis and to search for the reasons for their occurrence.

Borderline psychotherapy is primarily aimed at enabling the patient to gain insight (i.e. greater understanding and recognition of their own difficulties) and to correct any irregularities occurring in them. Due to the fact that patients with borderline personalitynotice problems in others rather than in themselves , it is quite often difficult to persuade them to seek the help of a therapist. However, it is worth making attempts as much as possible, because thanks to properly conducted therapy, it is possible to achieve even a significant improvement in the functioning of the patient.

ExpertBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of the medical faculty at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

Category:

Psychiatry