Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a type of personality disorder. You might be diagnosed with a personality disorder if you have difficulties with how you think and feel about yourself and other people, and are having problems in your life as a result.

You might be given a diagnosis of BPD if you experience at least five of the following things, and they’ve lasted for a long time or have a big impact on your daily life:

• You feel very worried about people abandoning you, and would do anything to stop that happening.  
• You have very intense emotions that last from a few hours to a few days and can change quickly (for example, from feeling very happy and confident to suddenly feeling low and sad).
• You don’t have a strong sense of who you are, and it can change significantly depending on who you’re with.
• You find it very hard to make and keep stable relationships.
• You feel empty a lot of the time.
• You act impulsively and do things that could harm you (such as binge eating, using drugs or driving dangerously).
• You often self-harm or have suicidal feelings. • You have very intense feelings of anger, which are really difficult to control.  
• When very stressed, you may also experience paranoia or dissociation.

This resource explains borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. it Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.