Borderline Personality Disorder

**Borderline personality disorder** is a Cluster B personality disorder characterized by difficulties with emotion regulation and the way the person with the disorder thinks and feels about others. In the ICD classification system, it is referred to as **emotionally unstable personality disorder****,** and the terms may be used interchangeably. The disorder can seriously affect interpersonal relationships and distress tolerance, and impulsive reactions to stressful events, and causes major disruption to the life of the people who experience it.

Tumblr user kermaphroditos designed a flag for awareness and support for those with borderline personality disorder, pictured in the infobox. The colors of the flag symbolize "splitting", a term used in BPD for metaphorically seeing the world in black-and-white, and the symbol in the center is that of Eris, the Greek goddess of discord, in gray, which is the color of the awareness ribbon for BPD.

## Diagnostic criteria

### In the DSM

A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. (Note: Do not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in Criterion 5.)
2. A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternat­ing between extremes of idealization and devaluation.
3. Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
4. Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).(Note: Do not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in Criterion 5.)
5. Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior.
6. Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).
7. Chronic feelings of emptiness.
8. Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights).
9. Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.

### In the ICD

The basic criteria for diagnosing a personality disorder using the ICD must first be met.

* Markedly disharmonious attitudes and behaviour, involving usually several areas of functioning - eg, affectivity, arousal, impulse control and relationships with others.
* The abnormal behaviour pattern is persistent, lasts for a long time and is not limited to episodes of mental illness.
* The abnormal behaviour pattern is widespread and obviously maladaptive to a broad range of personal and social situations.
* The above manifestations always appear during childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood.
* The disorder leads to considerable personal distress but this may only become apparent at a later stage.
* The disorder is usually, but not always, associated with significant difficulties with work and social relationships. Clinically significant distress or impairment must occur in all settings and not be limited to one area only.

In addition to the following, there are two sub-types of the disorder.

#### Impulsive type

The predominant characteristics are emotional instability and lack of impulse control. Outbursts of violence or threatening behaviour are common, particularly in response to criticism by others.

#### Borderline type

Several of the characteristics of emotional instability are present; in addition, the patient's own self-image, aims, and internal preferences (including sexual) are often unclear or disturbed. There are usually chronic feelings of emptiness. A liability to become involved in intense and unstable relationships may cause repeated emotional crises and may be associated with excessive efforts to avoid abandonment and a series of suicidal threats or acts of self-harm (although these may occur without obvious precipitants).

## Relation to plurality

Co-morbidity between dissociative identity disorder and borderline personality disorder is common, as is comorbidity between BPD and other dissociative disorders. Thusly, many individuals in the plural community experience borderline personality disorder. The identity disturbance that many individuals with borderline personality disorder experience have similarities to those experienced by people with dissociative disorders.

In addition to this, many systems who have not or do not wish to be diagnosed with a dissociative disorder attribute the origin of their system to BPD, as a sub-type of neurogenic systems. In the plural community this is called a BPD system or bordergenic. This is a controversial origin within the plural community.

1. ↑ Borderline Personality Disorder by National Alliance on Mental Illness
2. ↑ Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder on patient.info
3. ↑ BPD flag posted by beyond-mogai-pride-flags on Tumblr
4. ↑ Borderline Personality Disorder on Verywellhealth
5. ↑ Personality disorders and psychopathy on patient.info
6. ↑ Comorbid and Related Conditions on did-research.org
7. ↑ BPD system flag on beyond-mogai-pride-flags
8. ↑ Bordergenic coining post by Voidrot Nova Cluster
9. ↑ BPD DOES NOT CAUSE ALTERS post by firstperson-plural