This article doesn’t relate to only me, but all of the diagnostic criteria for BPD.
For doctors to diagnose Borderline personality disorder (BPD) you must show a long-standing history of at least five of the following symptoms.
We all know it and in a way we all think: “well, maybe I have BPD”. No, it doesn’t work that way. Here are the symptoms and what they mean for the people who live with somebody with BPD. It will be light- hearted but don’t think for a moment there’s any lightness in all of this.
Here it goes:
Fear of abandonment: People with BPD are often terrified of being abandoned or left alone. It means
somebody literally has to be there 100% of the time, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Unstable relationships: People with BPD tend to have relationships that are intense and short-lived.
Strange right? On one hand they want you to be there unconditionally, on the other hand you could be gone with a day’s notice.
Unclear or shifting self-image: unstable sense of self. “I’m good, I’m evil. I can change the world. I am
useless”. Not easy to find a balance there!
Impulsive, self-destructive behaviours: binge eating, threats, substance abuse, shopping sprees… And the ones around you can only watch and cross their fingers.
Self-harm: this is what it says: hurting yourself, typically cuts or burns but also taking medicines. It means the people who love you see harmless objects like kitchen knives, glasses, medicines, scissors, lighters or pencil sharpeners as major hazards to keep hidden. Life is not easy in these households.
Extreme emotional swings: One moment you may feel happy and the next desperate or angry. It means the others are constantly walking on egg shells.
Chronic feelings of emptiness: Navigating the void…which you might want to fill with drugs, food or sex. Needless to say it’s useless. Again, the people around you are helpless.
Explosive anger: Exactly what the word says. And the others can only ward off the blows.
Feeling suspicious or out of touch with reality. People with BPD often struggle with paranoia or suspicious thoughts about others’ motives. Just imagine how the others may feel.
So here they are, the main diagnostic criteria for BPD. Yeah, it sucks, but if you suffer from it you also have to find a way cope and deal with the symptoms you have. It’s hard, but possible.
Yours sincerely,
Dysfunctional Girl
How NOT to be functional 