Borderline Personality Disorder – Symptoms and Causes

ByJanis Updated

Overview

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition. It disrupts how individuals perceive themselves and relate to others. People with this disorder typically experience unstable relationships, impulsive behaviors, and a distorted self-image. These symptoms can significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life.

A core feature of BPD is an intense fear of abandonment. This fear often triggers extreme emotional reactions, including sudden mood shifts and angry outbursts. These reactions can lead to impulsive decisions that may ultimately damage relationships.

BPD usually emerges during early adulthood, with symptoms being most severe during this period. While emotional volatility and impulsiveness tend to improve with age, challenges with self-image, abandonment fears, and relationship difficulties often persist longer.

The condition affects how people:

  • Manage emotions – experiencing intense feelings that change rapidly
  • View themselves – struggling with an unstable self-image
  • Navigate relationships – cycling between idealization and devaluation
  • Control impulses – acting without considering consequences

Despite these challenges, treatment can be effective. Many individuals with BPD learn to manage their symptoms and build more stable lives through appropriate therapeutic approaches. With proper support, people with this condition can develop healthier coping mechanisms and improve their overall wellbeing.

Signs and Symptoms

People with borderline personality disorder may show various signs that affect their self-image, relationships, and behaviors. These symptoms can include:

  • Extreme fear of being left alone – Going to great lengths to avoid real or imagined rejection
  • Unstable relationships – Seeing people as either perfect or terrible with sudden shifts in perspective
  • Shifting self-image – Frequent changes in goals, values, and how you see yourself
  • Brief periods of paranoia – Losing touch with reality during stressful times
  • Risky behaviors – Acting impulsively through gambling, reckless driving, unsafe sex, overspending, or sabotaging success
  • Suicidal threats or self-harm – Often when feeling rejected or abandoned
  • Rapid mood changes – Shifts between happiness, irritability, anxiety, or shame that last hours or days
  • Constant emptiness – Feeling hollow or without purpose
  • Intense anger – Frequent temper outbursts, bitterness, or physical fights

When to Get Help

If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider. A doctor or mental health professional can offer proper assessment and treatment options.

Don’t wait until symptoms become severe to seek help.

If you notice these symptoms in someone you care about, gently suggest they speak with a professional. Remember that you cannot force someone to get help. If the relationship causes you significant stress, consider seeking therapy for yourself.

Causes

Scientists don’t fully understand what causes borderline personality disorder. Research points to several possible factors:

  • Genetic factors: Family studies show that borderline personality disorder may run in families. If your relatives have this condition or other mental health disorders, you might have a higher risk.

  • Brain differences: Research has found that people with this disorder may have changes in brain areas that control emotions and impulses. These differences might explain why some people struggle with strong emotions or impulsive behavior.

  • Childhood experiences: Growing up with abuse, trauma, or neglect increases the risk of developing this condition later in life.

These factors likely work together rather than any single cause leading to the disorder.

Risk Factors

Several factors can increase the chance of developing borderline personality disorder:

  • Family history – Having a parent or sibling with the condition may raise your risk due to genetic factors
  • Childhood trauma – Experiencing physical or sexual abuse during childhood
  • Neglect – Growing up without proper care or attention from parents or caregivers
  • Early separation – Losing a parent or caregiver at a young age
  • Unstable home environment – Living with family conflict or inconsistent relationships
  • Parental problems – Having parents who struggled with substance abuse or mental health issues

These factors don’t guarantee someone will develop the disorder. Many people experience these challenges without developing borderline personality disorder, while others develop it without clear risk factors.

Problems That Can Arise

Borderline personality disorder can harm many parts of a person’s life. It often causes issues in relationships, work, education, and self-image.

People with this condition may experience:

  • Frequent job losses or changes
  • Incomplete education
  • Legal troubles, including jail time
  • Troubled relationships and possible divorce
  • Self-harm behaviors like cutting or burning
  • Multiple hospital stays
  • Relationships with abuse
  • Risky choices leading to unplanned pregnancies, STIs, car accidents, or fights
  • Suicide attempts

Common Co-occurring Conditions

Many individuals with borderline personality disorder also have other mental health issues, such as:

  • Depression
  • Substance abuse problems
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Bipolar disorder
  • PTSD
  • ADHD
  • Other personality disorders

These conditions can make diagnosis and treatment more complex. Healthcare providers need to give them careful attention.

Health Writer

Janis's areas of expertise include nutrition, exercise, stress management, and mental health. She is passionate about educating and empowering people to take control of their health and make positive changes that can last a lifetime. Janis believes that small, sustainable changes are the key to long-term success, and she works with her clients to develop personalized plans that fit their individual needs and lifestyles.