What is borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a mental disorder characterized by emotional instability, interpersonal conflicts, and self-identity confusion, mainly manifested as symptoms such as intense emotional fluctuations, fear of abandonment, impulsive behavior, and self harm tendencies. The causes of borderline personality disorder may involve various factors such as genetic factors, childhood trauma, abnormal brain function, family environment, and social psychological factors.

1. Emotional instability

Patients often experience intense emotional fluctuations lasting for several hours, which may quickly transition from extreme pleasure to depression or anger. This emotional change is often triggered by small things such as interpersonal conflicts and is difficult to self regulate. Some patients may experience feelings of emptiness or indescribable pain, leading to frequent emotional outbursts or prolonged periods of depression.

2. Interpersonal Relationship Conflict

Patients have a contradictory psychology of both desire and fear towards interpersonal relationships, which can easily lead to a cognitive pattern of either black or white. May idealize others excessively and then suddenly belittle them, often resulting in excessive dependence or preemptive estrangement due to fear of being abandoned. This pattern leads to repeated breakdowns of intimate relationships, forming a vicious cycle.

3. Patients with self-identity disorders

lack stable cognition of self-image, career choices, values, etc., and may suddenly change their life goals or lifestyle. Some people may fill their inner emptiness by frequently changing jobs, friends, or partners, or exhibit completely different personality traits in different social situations.

4. Impulsive behavior

Common high-risk behaviors include irrational consumption, drug abuse, dangerous driving, and overeating. Some patients have repeated self harm or suicide threats, which often occur during emotional breakdowns. These behaviors are not only a way to vent their pain, but also an attempt to attract attention from others as a means of communication.

5. Dissociation symptoms [SEP]: Dissociation symptoms such as loss of sense of reality, blurred memory, or personality disintegration may occur in stressful situations. Patients may describe an out of body experience or a sense of unfamiliarity with their surroundings, which typically lasts for minutes to hours and can seriously affect normal functioning.

Borderline personality disorder requires professional psychological therapy combined with medication intervention. Dialectical behavior therapy and psychogenic therapy have been proven to be significantly effective in improving symptoms. Patients can use emotional diaries to record triggering events and reaction patterns, and learn pause techniques to delay impulsive behavior. Establishing a regular schedule and moderate exercise can help stabilize emotions and avoid the intake of substances such as alcohol that may worsen symptoms. Family and friends need to understand the characteristics of the illness, set reasonable boundaries while maintaining emotional support, and seek family treatment if necessary to improve interaction patterns.