But patients suffering from BPD fear abandonment above all else. They almost always have a bad self-image. They are like mirrors relying on others for their own image. If someone praises them, they can feel good about themselves, if someone derides them, they are all-bad. This creates poor interpersonal relationships.
Impulsive behaviors are also part of the profile.
Many BPD Patients try to commit suicide or make gestures toward suicide as a cry for help. Dr. Cynthia Vrable is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University. About eight to ten percent of them commit suicide, many more attempt than commit suicide, but in my mind it's the suffering. Vrable says BPD patients have largely been stigmatized by mental health profession. Many psychologists and psychiatrists don't want to treat these patients because they can be difficult to deal with.