Borderline Personality Disorder

Originally thought to be at the "borderline" between psychosis and neurosis, people with BPD are now said to suffer from what has come to be called emotional dysregulation.

For BPD to be diagnosed, at least five of the following signs and symptoms must be present:

Intense fears of abandonment
A pattern of unstable relationships
Unstable self-image
Impulsive and self-destructive behaviors
Suicidal behavior or self-injury
Wide mood swings
Chronic feelings of emptiness
Inappropriate anger
Periods of paranoia and loss of contact with reality

Suicide rates among people with BPD are very high, reaching 10 percent.

In addition, people with borderline personality disorder may have other mental health problems, too, including:
Depression
Substance abuse
Anxiety disorders
Eating disorders
Bipolar disorder
Other personality disorders

Individuals with borderline personality disorder are often unfairly discriminated against within the broad range of mental health professionals because of the difficulty to treat these patients.