Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition in which a person has long-term patterns of unstable emotions, moods, and behavior. These experiences often result in impulsive actions and stormy relationships with other people.

Persons with borderline personality disorder tend to view things in terms of extremes, such as either all good or all bad. These suddenly shifting feelings often lead to intense and unstable relationships. Other symptoms of borderline personality disorder include intense fear of being abandoned, frequent feelings of emptiness and boredom, frequent expression of inappropriate anger, impulsivity, and repeated crises and acts of self-injury.

The cause of borderline personality disorder is unknown. Genetic, family, and social factors are thought to be associated with borderline personality disorder. Risk factors for borderline personality disorder include abandonment in childhood or adolescence, disrupted family life, poor communication in the family, and sexual, physical, or emotional abuse.

Borderline personality disorder can be treated with psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy among others. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any medications to treat borderline personality disorder, but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as paroxetine (Paxil) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as phenelzine (Nardil) can be used to help manage certain symptoms. Atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine (Zyprexa) and risperidone (Risperdal). Mood stabilizers such as lithium (Lithobid) and divalproex sodium (Depakote) may be effective.

The cause of borderline personality disorder is unknown. Genetic, family, and social factors are thought to be associated with borderline personality disorder

Risk factors for borderline personality disorder include:

• Abandonment in childhood or adolescence
• Disrupted family life
• Lack/poor communication in the family
• Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse

This personality disorder tends to be seen more often in women and among hospitalized psychiatric patients.

Talk with a mental health professional if you have intense, unstable emotions and relationships or repeated self-harm. Call or text 988, or call 911, during a crisis or for thoughts of suicide.