Overview of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by emotional instability, interpersonal conflicts, and impulsive behavior. Its main manifestations include self-identity confusion, fear of abandonment, and self harming behavior. This disorder is usually caused by a combination of genetic factors, childhood trauma, brain dysfunction, family environment, and social psychological factors.

1. Emotional instability

Patients experience intense and difficult to control emotional fluctuations, which may quickly transition from extreme pleasure to anger or depression. This type of emotional change often lacks clear triggers and has a short duration but high intensity. Common manifestations include sudden crying, anger, or emotional numbness, which can cause significant distress in daily interpersonal communication.

2. Interpersonal Relationship Conflict

Patients have a black-and-white cognitive pattern towards interpersonal relationships, making them prone to quickly switching between idealizing and belittling others. Often exhibiting excessive fear of abandonment, may maintain relationships through extreme means or preemptively end relationships. Repeated arguments, controlling behavior, or excessive dependence in intimate relationships are typical manifestations.

3. Patients with self-identity disorders

lack stable cognition of self-image, career choices, or values, and may frequently change their life goals or suddenly change their interests and hobbies. Accompanied by long-term feelings of emptiness, some patients fill their inner emptiness through substance abuse, overeating, or risky behaviors. This confusion of identity often leads to a lack of direction in life and impaired social functioning.

4. Impulsive behavior

Patients may exhibit reckless behaviors such as substance abuse, dangerous driving, overeating, or overconsumption. Self injury behaviors such as wrist cutting are common, and some patients use it to regulate emotions or express pain. The incidence of suicide threats or attempts is high, and special attention needs to be paid to risk intervention.

5. Dissociation symptoms

In stressful situations, there may be a loss of sense of reality or personality disintegration, manifested as memory loss, physical numbness, or a feeling of being out of the body. These symptoms usually appear briefly, but can exacerbate the patient's psychological distress. Some patients may develop psychotic symptoms such as delusions, which need to be differentiated from schizophrenia. For patients with borderline personality disorder, it is recommended to establish a regular schedule and diet, and maintain moderate exercise to help regulate emotions. Mindfulness training can be attempted to improve emotional management skills and avoid substance abuse such as alcohol. Family members need to learn non critical communication skills, and patients should adhere to psychological therapy such as dialectical behavior therapy. Regularly follow up to assess changes in symptoms and seek professional help in a timely manner during acute crises. The establishment of a social support system is crucial for long-term rehabilitation, and patient support groups can also provide emotional support.