What is it like to have BPD?
People with BPD also have a tendency to think in extremes, a phenomenon called “dichotomous” or “black-or-white” thinking. People with BPD often struggle to see the complexity in people and situations and are unable to recognize that things are often not either perfect or horrible, but are something in between.
Can BPD cause anxiety and panic attacks?
As a result, they can experience anxiety and panic. Although one of the symptoms of BPD is anxiety, between 75 and 90 percent of people with BPD also meet criteria for at least one type of anxiety disorder, such as social anxiety disorder and panic disorder. ( 18, 19)
Why is there still a stigma around BPD?
There’s still a huge stigma surrounding BPD. Many people still believe that those living with it can be manipulative or dangerous due to their symptoms. While this can be the case in a very small minority of people, most people with BPD are just struggling with their sense of self and their relationships.
Can borderline personality disorder cause thinking problems?
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with a few different problems related to thinking. These cognitive problems often contribute to other symptoms, including relationship problems, emotional instability, and impulsive behavior. Some treatments for BPD focus on addressing these problems in thinking.
Noted psychologist and author Dr. Marsha Linehan has described BPD sufferers as “third-degree burn patients” whose skin is constantly exposed to the air. They are so emotionally sensitive that every moment is its own living hell.
What is dysphoria like for BPD sufferers?
For BPD sufferers, dysphoria, or mental pain, is their baseline mood, which can feel unbearable. Their lives are hellish. As a physician who has worked with borderline personality disorder patients herself, and a BPD sufferer personally, I really appreciate your interest.
Do people with BPD want to be treated like royalty?
People with BPD don’t want to be treated like royalty. They just want to be loved, an emotion which many never experienced. There is strong biological vulnerability and often horrific abuse which results in this devastating condition. For BPD sufferers, dysphoria, or mental pain, is their baseline mood, which can feel unbearable.
What is it like living with someone with borderline personality disorder?
Some oscillate rapidly between both. Perhaps the most difficult thing about living with someone with BPD is their mood swings. A person with BPD has mood swings that can occur rapidly, their needs and desires changing not just from week to week or day to day, but from moment to moment.