Using Scare Tactics to Gain Attention is Part of Borderline Personality Disorder

You may be able to put on a happy face when you're feeling miserable, and you may be able to take charge of your attitude and choose to be cheerful despite your stressful situation, but the person with borderline personality disorder isn't able to do this. BPD can start in childhood or early adulthood and as they mature, those with BPD show emotions easily, and any outburst they have will take a long time to return to normal. Their emotional outbursts are frequent and are often accompanied with an act of revenge; the tipping over of a table for instance and plenty of verbal abuse.

borderline personality disorder


The inability to judge situations and their impulsiveness will often cause people with BPD to be involved in risky situations like going on a drinking spree. BPD is often under- or misdiagnosed; there isn't one single test which can diagnose BPD, but recent research shows that this mental disorder can be treated over time. Some people have more severe symptoms, and may require in-patient care where more intensive treatment is received.

Destabilizing Behavior for Individual and Family

People with BPD are able to attract people easily enough, but they have turbulent relationships, and their emotional imbalances make it difficult for them to maintain a friendship or even hold down a job. Rock their boat and they'll enter into self destructive activities in order to ward off feelings of rejection, loneliness and emptiness.

Even though these emotional outbursts don't last long, it is their frequency which is destabilizing for the individual and those around them. People with  BPD often idealize those closest to them but will lash out at them at the slightest provocation. They also have high rates of co-occurring disorders such as substance abuse, suicidal attempts, depression and anxiety disorders.

Scientists and medical experts believe that environmental factors as well as genes come in to play with those with BPD. People who show a consistent pattern of psychological behavior patterns are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Some of these symptoms are -

■a poor self image
■moods which chop and change and problems with controlling bouts of anger
■mixture of love and hate feelings for those closest to them
■constantly thinking of suicide
■chronic feelings of boredom and emptiness
■impulsive and dangerous behavior



Knowing when to Act

There are a number of treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder and while medications can be used to help stabilize the moods of the BPD person, psychotherapy is always the first choice of treatment, many times in a group setting.  Therapeutic communities are also helpful because they are structured environments where people with this mental disorder come together to interact and to also take part in therapy.