What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder have a pattern of unstable relationships with others, as well as instability in their self-image, emotions, and behaviours.

Signs and Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder:

• Fear of abandonment, and frantic efforts to prevent it
• Unstable interpersonal relationships, where others are idealized and then devalued
• Identity confusion, or an unstable sense of self
• Impulsivity in areas that can be harmful, e.g., substance abuse, binge eating, reckless driving, sexual indiscretions, over-spending
• Recurrent suicidal gestures, threats, behaviours, or self-harm without suicidal intent
• Intense emotions that change quickly, e.g., unhappiness, anxiety, irritability
• Frequent feelings of emptiness
• Intense, disproportionate, or uncontrollable anger
• Stress-related paranoia or severe symptoms of dissociation

Often people with Borderline Personality Disorder are also struggling with:

• Depressive Disorders
• Bipolar Disorders
• Substance Use Disorders
• Eating Disorders, especially Bulimia Nervosa
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Personality Disorders

Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder can help you to…

• Stop self-destructive behaviours, including suicidal gestures, or non-suicidal self-harm behaviours
• Name, soothe, or express difficult or painful emotions in a healthy way
• Reduce emotional vulnerability, and build stability
• Manage your emotions, instead of letting them manage you
• Tolerate feelings of distress during difficult situations
• Resolve conflicts in a constructive way, that maintains or enhances relationships
• Build self-respect and assertion skills
• Identify what would make your life worth living, and work towards set goals
• Feel more in control of yourself and your life