Borderline Personality Disorder Is Characterized By Nine Symptoms

Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of intense and unstable interpersonal relationships, a distorted sense of self, and strong emotional reactions. Those affected often engage in self-harm and other dangerous behaviors, often due to their difficulty with returning their emotional level to a healthy or normal baseline. They may also struggle with a feeling of emptiness, fear of abandonment, and detachment from reality.

Borderline personality disorder Meaning

A borderline personality disorder (अस्थिर व्यक्तित्व की परेशानी) is a mental health disorder that impacts the way you think and feels about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life. It includes self-image issues, difficulty managing emotions and behavior, and a pattern of unstable relationships.

Borderline personality disorder Symptoms

BPD is characterized by nine signs and symptoms. To be diagnosed, a person must meet at least five of the following:

• Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
• Unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships, often characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation, also known as “splitting”
• Markedly disturbed sense of identity and a distorted self-image.
• Impulsive or reckless behaviors (e.g. impulsive or uncontrollable spending, unsafe sex, substance use disorders, reckless driving, binge eating).
• Recurrent suicidal ideation or self-harm.
• Rapidly shifting intense emotional dysregulation.
• Chronic feelings of emptiness.
• Inappropriate, intense anger that can be difficult to control.
• Transient, stress-related paranoid or severe dissociative symptoms.

Overall, the most distinguishing symptoms of BPD are pervasive patterns of instability in interpersonal relationships and self-image, alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation of others, along with varying moods and difficulty regulating strong emotional reactions. Dangerous or impulsive behavior is also correlated with the disorder.

Other symptoms

Other symptoms may include feeling unsure of one’s identity, morals, and values; having paranoid thoughts when feeling stressed; depersonalization; and, in moderate to severe cases, stress-induced breaks with reality or psychotic episodes. Individuals with BPD often have comorbid conditions, such as depressive and bipolar disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Emotions

People with BPD may feel emotions with greater ease and depth and for a longer time than others do. A core characteristic of BPD is affective instability, which generally manifests as unusually intense emotional responses to environmental triggers, with a slower return to a baseline emotional state. 

Interpersonal relationships

People with BPD can be very sensitive to the way others treat them, feeling intense joy and gratitude at perceived expressions of kindness, and intense sadness or anger at perceived criticism or hurtfulness. People with BPD often engage in idealization and devaluation of others, alternating between high positive regard for people and great disappointment in them. 

Behavior

Impulsive behavior is common, including substance use disorders (e.g. alcohol use disorder), eating in excess, unprotected sex or indiscriminate sex with multiple partners, reckless spending, and reckless driving. Impulsive behavior may also include leaving jobs or relationships, running away, and self-injury. People with BPD might do this because it gives them the feeling of immediate relief from their emotional pain.

Self-harm and suicide

Self-harming or suicidal behavior is one of the core diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. Self-harm occurs in 50 to 80% of people with BPD. The most frequent method of self-harm is cutting. Bruising, burning, head banging, or biting are also common with BPD. People with BPD may feel emotional relief after engaging in self-harm.

Sense of self

People with BPD tend to have trouble seeing their identity clearly. In particular, they tend to have difficulty knowing what they value, believe, prefer, and enjoy. They are often unsure about their long-term goals for relationships and jobs. This can cause people with BPD to feel “empty” and “lost”. Self-image can also change rapidly from healthy to unhealthy. People with BPD may base their identity on others, leading to chameleon-like changes in identity.

Cognitions

The often intense emotions people with BPD experience may make it difficult for them to concentrate. They may also tend to dissociate, which can be thought of as an intense form of “zoning out”. Others can sometimes tell when someone with BPD is dissociating because their facial or vocal expressions may become flat or expressionless, or they may appear distracted and “numb” too emotional stimuli.

Psychotic symptoms

Though BPD is primarily seen as a disorder of emotional regulation, psychotic symptoms are fairly common, with an estimated 21–54% prevalence in clinical BPD populations. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as “pseudo-psychotic” or “psychotic-like”, terms that suggest a distinction from those seen in primary psychotic disorders. 

Disability

Many people with BPD are able to work if they find appropriate jobs and their condition is not too severe. People with BPD may be found to have a disability in the workplace if the condition is severe enough that the behaviors of sabotaging relationships, engaging in risky behaviors, or intense anger prevent the person from functioning in their job role.

Borderline personality disorder Causes

As is the case with other mental disorders, the causes of BPD are complex and not fully agreed upon. Evidence suggests that BPD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be related in some way. Most researchers agree that a history of childhood trauma can be a contributing factor, but less attention has historically been paid to investigating the causal roles played by congenital brain abnormalities, genetics, neurobiological factors, and environmental factors other than trauma.

Genetics

The heritability of BPD is estimated to be between 37% and 69%. That is, 37% to 69% of the variability in liability underlying BPD in the population can be explained by genetic differences. Twin studies may overestimate the effect of genes on variability in personality disorders due to the complicating factor of a shared family environment. 

Brain abnormalities

A number of neuroimaging studies in BPD have reported findings of reductions in regions of the brain involved in the regulation of stress responses and emotion, affecting the hippocampus, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the amygdala, amongst other areas. A smaller number of studies have used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to explore changes in the concentrations of neuro metabolites in certain brain regions of BPD patients, looking specifically at neurometabolites such as N-acetyl aspartate, creatine, glutamate-related compounds, and choline-containing compounds.

Neurobiology

Borderline personality disorder has previously been strongly associated with the occurrence of childhood trauma or ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience). While many psychiatric diagnoses are believed to be associated with traumatic experiences occurring during critical periods of childhood, specific neurobiological factors have been identified within patients diagnosed with BPD. 

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) regulates cortisol production, which is released in response to stress. Cortisol production tends to be elevated in people with BPD, indicating a hyperactive HPA axis in these individuals. This causes them to experience a greater biological stress response, which might explain their greater vulnerability to irritability.

Since traumatic events can increase cortisol production and HPA axis activity, one possibility is that the prevalence of higher-than-average activity in the HPA axis of people with BPD may simply be a reflection of the higher-than-average majority of a traumatic childhood and maturational events among people with BPD.

Estrogen

Individual differences in women’s estrogen cycles may be related to the expression of BPD symptoms in female patients. A 2003 study found that women’s BPD symptoms were predicted by changes in estrogen levels throughout their menstrual cycles, an effect that remained significant when the results were controlled for a general increase in negative affect.

Developmental factors of Borderline personality disorder

Childhood trauma

There is a strong correlation between child abuse, especially child sexual abuse, and the development of BPD. Many individuals with BPD report a history of abuse and neglect as young children, but causation is still debated. Patients with BPD have been found to be significantly more likely to report having been verbally, emotionally, physically, or sexually abused by caregivers of either sex. They also report a high incidence of incest and loss of caregivers in early childhood. 

Neurological patterns

The intensity and reactivity of a person’s negative affectivity, or tendency to feel negative emotions, predicts BPD symptoms more strongly than childhood sexual abuse. This finding, differences in brain structure, and the fact that some patients with BPD do not report a traumatic history suggest that BPD is distinct from the post-traumatic stress disorder which frequently accompanies it. Thus, researchers examine developmental causes in addition to childhood trauma.

Mediating and moderating factors

Executive function

While high rejection sensitivity is associated with stronger symptoms of borderline personality disorder, executive function appears to mediate the relationship between rejection sensitivity and BPD symptoms. That is, a group of cognitive processes that include planning, working memory, attention, and problem-solving might be the mechanism through which rejection sensitivity impacts BPD symptoms. 

Family environment

Family environment mediates the effect of child sexual abuse on the development of BPD. An unstable family environment predicts the development of the disorder, while a stable family environment predicts a lower risk. One possible explanation is that a stable environment buffers against its development.

Self-complexity

Self-complexity, or considering one’s self to have many different characteristics, may lessen the apparent discrepancy between an actual self and a desired self-image. Higher self-complexity may lead a person to desire more characteristics instead of better characteristics; if there is any belief that characteristics should have been acquired, these may be more likely to have been experienced as examples rather than considered abstract qualities. 

Thought suppression

A 2005 study found that thought suppression, or conscious attempts to avoid thinking certain thoughts, mediates the relationship between emotional vulnerability and BPD symptoms. A later study found that the relationship between emotional vulnerability and BPD symptoms is not necessarily mediated by thought suppression. However, this study did find that thought suppression mediates the relationship between an invalidating environment and BPD symptoms.

Borderline personality disorder Developmental theories

Marsha Linehan’s biosocial developmental theory of borderline personality disorder suggests that BPD emerges from the combination of an emotionally vulnerable child, and an invalidating environment. The emotional vulnerability may consist of biological, inherited factors that affect a child’s temperament. Invalidating settings may include contexts where a child’s emotions and needs are neglected, ridiculed, dismissed, or discouraged, or may include contexts of trauma and abuse.

Borderline personality disorder Diagnosis

Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder is based on a clinical assessment by a mental health professional. The best method is to present the criteria of the disorder to a person and to ask them if they feel that these characteristics accurately describe them. Actively involving people with BPD in determining their diagnosis can help them become more willing to accept it. 

International Classification of Borderline personality disorder

ICD-11

The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 completely restructured its personality disorder section. It classifies BPD as a personality disorder, borderline pattern, described as the following:

The Borderline pattern specifier may be applied to individuals whose pattern of personality disturbance is characterised by a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity, as indicated by many of the following:

• Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment;
• A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships;
• Identity disturbance, manifested in markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self;
• A tendency to act rashly in states of high negative affect, leading to potentially self-damaging behaviours;
• Recurrent episodes of self-harm;
• Emotional instability due to marked reactivity of mood;
• Chronic feelings of emptiness; Inappropriate intense anger or difficulty controlling anger;
• Transient dissociative symptoms or psychotic-like features in situations of high affective arousal.

ICD-10

The ICD-10 defined a disorder that was conceptually similar to BPD, called (F60.3) Emotionally unstable personality disorder. Its two subtypes are described below:

F60.30 Impulsive type

At least three of the following must be present, one of which must be (2):

1. Marked tendency to act unexpectedly and without consideration of the consequences;
2. Marked tendency to engage in quarrelsome behavior and to have conflicts with others, especially when impulsive acts are thwarted or criticized;
3. Liability to outbursts of anger or violence, with the inability to control the resulting behavioral explosions;
4. Difficulty in maintaining any course of action that offers no immediate reward;
5. Unstable and capricious (impulsive, whimsical) mood.

F60.31 Borderline type

At least three of the symptoms mentioned in F60.30 Impulsive type must be present [see above], with at least two of the following in addition:

1. Disturbances in and uncertainty about self-image, aims, and internal preferences;
2. Liable to become involved in intense and unstable relationships, often leading to emotional crises;
3. Excessive efforts to avoid abandonment;
4. Recurrent threats or acts of self-harm;
5. Chronic feelings of emptiness;
6. Demonstrates impulsive behavior, e.g. speeding in a car or substance use.

The ICD-10 also describes some general criteria that define what is considered a personality disorder.

Millon’s subtypes of Borderline personality disorder

American psychologist Theodore Millon has proposed four subtypes of BPD. He suggests that an individual diagnosed with BPD may exhibit none, one, or multiple of the following:

Subtype	Features
Discouraged borderline (including avoidant and dependent features)	Pliant, submissive, loyal, humble; feels vulnerable and in constant jeopardy; feels hopeless, depressed, helpless, and powerless.
Petulant borderline (including negativistic features)	Negativistic, impatient, restless, as well as stubborn, defiant, sullen, pessimistic, and resentful; easily feels “slighted” and quickly disillusioned.
Impulsive borderline (including histrionic and antisocial features)	Captivating, capricious, superficial, flighty, distractable, frenetic, and seductive; fearing loss, the individual becomes agitated; gloomy and irritable; and potentially suicidal.
Self-destructive borderline (including depressive or masochistic features)	Inward-turning, intropunitive (self-punishing), angry; conforming, deferential, and ingratiating behaviors have deteriorated; increasingly high-strung and moody; possible suicide.

Borderline personality disorder Misdiagnosis

People with BPD may be misdiagnosed for a variety of reasons. One reason for misdiagnosis is BPD has symptoms that coexist (comorbidity) with other disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder.

According to critics of the diagnosis, BPD cannot be distinguishable from negative affectivity when subjected to regression and factor analyses. They argue that BPD diagnosis does not seem to add anything to other diagnoses, and may be unnecessary or misleading.

Adolescence

The onset of symptoms typically occurs during adolescence or young adulthood, although symptoms suggestive of this disorder can sometimes be observed in children. Symptoms among adolescents that predict the development of BPD in adulthood may include problems with body image, extreme sensitivity to rejection, behavioral problems, non-suicidal self-injury, attempts to find exclusive relationships, and severe shame. 

Many adolescents experience these symptoms without going on to develop BPD, but those who experience them are 9 times as likely as their peers to develop BPD. They are also more likely to develop other forms of long-term social disabilities.

Differential Diagnosis of Borderline personality disorder

Lifetime comorbid (co-occurring) conditions are common in BPD. Compared to those diagnosed with other personality disorders, people with BPD showed a higher rate of also meeting the criteria for:

• Mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder
• Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Other personality disorders, including schizotypal, antisocial, and dependent personality disorder
• Substance use disorder (SUD)
• Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Somatic symptom disorders (formerly known as somatoform disorders: a category of mental disorders included in a number of diagnostic schemes of mental illness)
• Dissociative disorders

A diagnosis of a personality disorder should not be made during an untreated mood episode/disorder unless the lifetime history supports the presence of a personality disorder.

Mood disorders

Many people with borderline personality disorder also have mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Some characteristics of BPD are similar to those of mood disorders, which can complicate the diagnosis. It is especially common for people to be misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder when they have a borderline personality disorder or vice versa. 

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) occurs in 3–8% of women. Symptoms begin during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and end during menstruation. Symptoms may include marked mood swings, irritability, depressed mood, feeling hopeless or suicidal, a subjective sense of being overwhelmed or out of control, anxiety, binge eating, difficulty concentrating, and substantial impairment of interpersonal relationships. People with PMDD typically begin to experience symptoms in their early twenties, although many do not seek treatment until their early thirties.

Borderline personality disorder Management

Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for borderline personality disorder. Treatments should be based on the needs of the individual, rather than upon the general diagnosis of BPD. Medications are useful for treating comorbid disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Short-term hospitalization has not been found to be more effective than community care for improving outcomes or long-term prevention of suicidal behavior in those with BPD.

Psychotherapy

Long-term psychotherapy is currently the treatment of choice for BPD. While psychotherapy, in particular, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and psychodynamic approaches, is effective, the effects are slow: many people have to put in years of work to be effective.

More rigorous treatments are not substantially better than less rigorous treatments. There are six such treatments available: dynamic deconstructive psychotherapy (DDP), mentalization-based treatment (MBT), transference-focused psychotherapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), general psychiatric management, and schema-focused therapy. Long-term therapy of any kind is better than no treatment, especially in reducing urges to self-injure.

Medications

A 2010 review by the Cochrane Collaboration found that no medications show promise for “the core BPD symptoms of chronic feelings of emptiness, identity disturbance, and abandonment”. However, the authors found that some medications may impact isolated symptoms associated with BPD or the symptoms of comorbid conditions. 

Services

There is a significant difference between the number of those who would benefit from treatment and the number of those who are treated. The so-called “treatment gap” is a function of the disinclination to submit for treatment, an underdiagnosing of the disorder by healthcare providers, and the limited availability and access to state-of-the-art treatments.

There are also ongoing problems with creating clear pathways to services and medical care, with many people with BPD finding it difficult to access treatment. Even when medical providers try to help, many are not trained or equipped to help with severe BPD, which is a problem that has been recognized by both those affected by BPD and doctors.

Natural remedy for Borderline personality disorder

If you’re curious about how to treat BPD without medication, there are a few things you can try. We’re sharing some of the natural ways in which people treat borderline personality disorder.

Therapy

Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is almost always the first line of treatment for people who’ve received a BPD diagnosis. The most common and effective forms of BPD therapy include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). The latter was developed specifically to treat this mental health condition.  

Vitamin C Supplements

Vitamin C supplements might be beneficial for people whose BPD symptoms include anxiety and nervous tension. One 2015 study found that taking 500 mg of vitamin C a day reduced anxiety in some people. If you’re looking for how to treat BPD naturally, vitamin C might be a good option to explore.

Siddha remedies for Borderline personality disorder

1. Siddha Preventive Measures

Everybody must practice Siddha preventive measures, whether affected by Borderline personality disorder or not, but they are the primary steps for switching on to any other Siddha energy remedies, and hence they are important. It helps in one’s capability, effectiveness, productivity, decision-making power, intellectualism, and removing minor health problems.

Earthing, Field Cleaning, and Siddha Brain Exercise/Energizing are three types of preventive measures. Everybody’s tendency is to get attracted toward the word ‘free‘, however, don’t neglect even these Siddha preventive measures are free. Avail of the benefits by practicing them regularly. For ease of understanding of Siddha preventive measures, please watch a video for a live demonstration.

2. Siddha Shaktidata Yoga

This unique Siddha Shaktidata Yoga can solve problems related to Borderline personality disorder with free Siddha energy remedies. Training in ‘Swami Hardas Life System’ methods is not a compulsion, but it would help achieve faster results. This not only gives benefits to self but also can be used for other affected persons, whether a person is in the same house, distantly available in the same city, same nation, or maybe in the corner of the world, however, both procedures have been explained here.

3. Siddha Kalyan Sadhana

Recite this Sadhana with a Sankalp “My Borderline personality disorder and associated problems are solved as early as possible and I should gain health”, which should be repeated in mind 3 – 3 times after each stanza. Any person irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith, sex, and age can recite this Sadhana for free, which should be repeated at least twice a day. To know more about it, please click on this link.

4. CCPE products for Borderline personality disorder

These products work on the concepts of ‘Conceptual Creative Positive Energy’ (CCPE) within the provisions of ‘CCPE Life System’ and the theory of Quantum Technology to a certain extent. However, the products get activated only whenever touched by a human and then they become capable of solving the problem and achieving health.

The use of CCPE products, being Energy Therapy, is one of the most effective free Siddha energy remedies for persons, who could not undergo training in Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System.  However, please use these products for Borderline personality disorder problems as mentioned below:

CCPE Extractor

The CCPE Extractor should be gently moved over the Agya Chakra in a circular motion for at least 30 to 60 seconds, thereafter, follow the same process on the head for another 30 to 60 seconds, which will convert negativity into positivity. This is how the process of using extractor finishes within almost 2 – 3 minutes. It is so simple.

CCPE Booster

Keep one Booster over the Agya Chakra and another over the head for 3 to 5 minutes. You may need to have 2 Boosters and the process would finish within almost 3 – 5 minutes, which establishes positivity. This is how the process of using CCPE Booster finishes within almost 3 – 5 minutes. It is so simple.

Wrapping boosters in a thin cloth and tying them around the head overnight to achieve faster results is permissible but after the use of the CCPE Extractor as explained above.

5. UAM

UAM (Understanding, Awakening & Movement): It is an energy-based process that can be applied by persons who have undergone training for touch therapy. One should have attended a minimum age of 18 years to avail of this golden opportunity. A desirous person can undergo training-process irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith, and sex. Trained persons can follow the tips explained below for how to apply these free Siddha energy remedies:

• Touch therapy – UAM/leveling as per the symptoms of the disease
• Distant therapy – Siddha Shaktidata Yog, Sight healing
• Sankalp therapy – Siddha Kalyan Sadhana, Vishwa Kalyan Sadhana
• Energy therapy – Use of CCPE products e.g. CCPE Extractor, Booster, and Booster powder
• There are various reasons behind health, peace, and progress-related problems, but effective free Siddha energy remedies would help solve all of them.

Training of Swami Hardas Life System

Any problem with regard to health, peace, and progress can be solved independently without money and medicines by undergoing training in Swami Hardas Life System. Any person irrespective of religion, caste, creed, faith, sex, and age can undergo this unique training.

A daily routine for Borderline personality disorder

In general, a daily routine to manage the problem may look like this:

• Perform Siddha Preventive Measures in the morning soon after you wake up
• After taking a bath, do brain exercise (energizing), and Siddha Kalyan Sadhana
• Do regular breathing exercises
• With the help of CCPE Extractor, Boosters apply the remedy as explained above
• Do light exercises routinely
• Adopt the Sattvik diet in your daily life
• Practice guided imagery
• Follow healthy lifestyle
• Before going to bed, repeat Siddha Kalyan Sadhana and remedies as suggested

And be sure to sprinkle in some fun during the day: Don’t forget to relax and laugh in between. Laughing is a great way to boost your immune system.

Along with all the above activities, apply free Siddha energy remedies minimum 3 times a day, the more is good. Just try methods of Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System, and I am confident that you will surely find improvements within 15 days.

Conclusion 

In view of the above, I am confident that you have learned the basics of Borderline personality disorder, its meaning, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, management, natural remedies, and Siddha remedies without money and medicines. As a bonus, you also learned free Siddha energy remedies. Now is the right time to use acquired knowledge for solving related problems for free. Hence, please undergo training, learn Siddha energy remedies, and apply them instantly to get or give instant relief to the needy.

Frequently asked questions

Before posting your query, kindly go through the:

What is the meaning of Borderline personality disorder? A borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life. It includes self-image issues, difficulty managing emotions and behavior, and a pattern of unstable relationships.

Which are the main symptoms of Borderline personality disorder? BPD is characterized by nine signs and symptoms. To be diagnosed, a person must meet at least five of the following: Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, Unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships, often characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation, also known as “splitting”, Markedly disturbed sense of identity and a distorted self-image, Impulsive or reckless behaviors (e.g., impulsive or uncontrollable spending, unsafe sex, substance use disorders, reckless driving, binge eating), Recurrent suicidal ideation or self-harm, Rapidly shifting intense emotional dysregulation, Chronic feelings of emptiness, Inappropriate, intense anger that can be difficult to control, and Transient, stress-related paranoid or severe dissociative symptoms.

How to manage Borderline personality disorder with Siddha remedies? In general, a daily routine to manage the problem may look like this: Perform Siddha Preventive Measures in the morning soon after you wake up, After taking a bath, do brain exercises (energizing), and Siddha Kalyan Sadhana, Do regular breathing exercises, With the help of CCPE Extractor, Boosters apply the remedy as explained above, Do light exercises routinely, Adopt the Sattvik diet in your daily life, Practice guided imagery, Follow a healthy lifestyle, Before going to bed, repeat Siddha Kalyan Sadhana and remedies as suggested. And be sure to sprinkle in some fun during the day: Don’t forget to relax and laugh in between. Laughing is a great way to boost your immune system.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorder