Mental health is a complex subject that often entails many facets of the same problem. New solutions to old problems are being discovered daily, although some conditions remain a mystery to doctors and patients in their care. Sometimes, classifying issues can be complex when so many symptoms overlap.
Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is one such mysterious mental health issue that perplexes scientists and doctors alike, and borderline personality disorder symptoms often mimic other emotional and mental health issues. There is no one test to diagnose BPD; instead, diagnosis relies on a comprehensive set of symptoms.
Excessive Moodiness
One of the common borderline personality disorder symptoms is being excessively moody. It can be a wild ride when you are dealing with someone with BPD due to sudden mood swings. People who are managing PBD are prone to shifting moods, sometimes in rapid succession from absolute joy to the deep depths of depression over everyday problems. The perfect meal can go from delicious to inedible if the presentation is wrong.
Risky Behaviors
With borderline personality disorder symptoms often, risky behavior is present, such as illicit drug use, unsafe sexual practices, promiscuity, and many other potentially precarious activities. To add to the confusion, sometimes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD symptoms overlap these behaviors to complicate matters.
Rocky Relationships
Maintaining stable and healthy relationships becomes problematic when borderline personality disorder symptoms arise, such as fear of abandonment, rises to the surface. With an extreme fear of being abandoned, self-sabotage is common for people suffering from BPD. Essentially, they often find a reason to terminate the relationship rather than risk abandonment.
Unstable Self Worth
Consumed with anxiety over minute actions or even presumed actions, people who have BPD often feel distress over misplaced guilt in feeling that everything that happens is their fault. An excellent example of this is being a people pleaser due to low self-esteem. Everyone’s feelings become more important than the patient who suffers from BPD, leaving them in a constant state of feeling not worthy.
Paranoid Thoughts
A fair percentage of those suffering from borderline personality disorder symptoms experience paranoia and believe that something or someone has a reason to harm them. This makes diagnosis difficult in that the overlap on this relates to schizophrenia as well. Asking a simple question, in this case, becomes a rabbit hole of why and what you want from me in some patients that cannot be assuaged with reason.
Help Is Available For BPD
Unfortunately, there is a risk of suicidal behavior in BPD. With the range of emotional issues and overlapping symptomatology, diagnosis of BPD can be a tricky process. Still, fortunately, there is help in the form of treating any underlying issues, such as anxiety and depression, coupled with cognitive and behavioral therapy. Some patients have realized a degree of symptom management with wellness treatments such as yoga and meditation. Reach out to a professional if you suspect you or a loved one are suffering from the above symptoms of BPD.
