Borderline personality disorder: Why ‘just calm down’ doesn’t work
Those suffering from BPD will experience impulsive thoughts, reckless decision making and trouble with successfully regulating emotions
Borderline personality disorder: Why ‘just calm down’ doesn’t work
BY KELLIE PLUMHOF · OCTOBER 23, 2014
We all have days when we feel like our emotions don’t make sense. We are way up high right before we come crashing down. For someone living with Borderline Personality Disorder these feelings never leave.
Borderline Personality Disorder, or what is more commonly known as BPD, is a mental illness that is characterized by instability. Prior to 1980 Borderline Personality was not even a diagnosable disease. It wasn’t until 1980 that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders listed BPD as a diagnosable disease for the first time and BPD was given credibility.
Those who are affected by BPD experience unstableness in moods, emotions and even in relationships they are involved in. Those suffering from BPD will experience impulsive thoughts, reckless decision making and trouble with successfully regulating emotions. In more extreme cases of BPD those affected by it can experience very violent outbursts in addition to the other symptoms.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in order to be diagnosed with BPD the patient needs to consistently experience five of the following symptoms:
- Extreme reactions
- Intense relationships with family/friends
- Distorted self image
- Impulsivity
- Suicidal behavior
- Mood changes
- Paranoid thoughts related to stress
- Intense anger
- Chronically feeling empty or bored