Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
By: Brian Murray, LMHC, NCC Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder characterized by difficulty with interpersonal relationships. Common symptoms include conflict, addictions, self-harm, impulsive and reckless behavior, and they frequently feel suicidal. Most individuals experience a rapid shift in mood ranging from good to bad to angry to fear of abandonment and rejections from others. The feelings experienced in BPD are usually caused by a tendency to see things in terms of black and white thinking while contributing to conflicting views of the self-known as dichotomous thinking. They are highly sensitive people and dependent on how others view and treat them in their relationships. People with BPD struggle to manage their emotions and lose functionality when feeling upset, sometimes with explosive anger. People with BPD can be seemingly high functioning and educated in the workplace and social settings. However, it is their personal life where they str...