Borderline Personality Disorder Test

Thank you for taking our borderline personality disorder test! Below is a little bit more information about this disorder as well as links to mental health professionals who can help you.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts how a sufferer thinks and feels about themselves and other people. This disorder causes problems functioning day to day and makes managing emotions and behaviors difficult, affects a person's self-image, and is marked by unstable relationships.

According to NAMI, it's estimated that 1.4% of U.S. adults experience borderline personality disorder and 75% of those are women.

While borderline personality disorder can be severe and cause a sufferer to struggle functioning, there is hope with effective treatment from a mental health professional.

Do I have Borderline Personality Disorder? Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Some key signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder include:

• Dissociative feelings: A person may disconnect from their thoughts or their sense of identity, causing an "out of body" feeling with paranoid thoughts. Severe cases can lead to psychotic episodes
• Anger that is not appropriate for the situation, overly intense, or uncontrollable in nature followed by strong feelings of shame or remorse
• Feelings of boredom or emptiness
• Periods of time with intense depressed mood, feeling irritable, or anxiety lasting several hours to several days
• Behavior marked by self-harm, such as cutting yourself or suicide attempts
• Overly impulsive behaviors that have harmful outcomes
• Low self-esteem that is distorted or unstable in nature, which affects a person's mood, opinions values, goals, and relationships
• Avoidance of being abandoned, whether real or imagined
• Unstable personal relationships marked by times of opposite idealizations and devaluations, known as "splitting"

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), or DSM-5, outlines the following diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder:

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. Fear of abandonment
2. Unstable or changing relationships
3. Unstable self-image; struggles with identity or sense of self
4. Impulsive or self-damaging behaviors (e.g., excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
5. Suicidal behavior or self-injury
6. Varied or random mood swings
7. Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness
8. Problems with anger, including frequent loss of temper or physical fights
9. Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment

Borderline personality disorder is mainly treated by psychotherapy, but medication can also be prescribed. If your safety is at risk, your doctor may recommend hospitalization.

Psychotherapy Treatment

Psychotherapy is a fundamental approach in treating borderline personality disorder. Here are a few effective types:

• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Mentalization-based therapy
• Schema-focused therapy
• Transference-focused psychotherapy
• Systems training for emotional predictability and problem solving
• Quality psychiatric management

Medications

No medications have been officially approved by the FDA for borderline personality disorder, however, a few can help with the symptoms associated with this mental health disorder. These can include:

• Anti-depressants
• anti-psychotics
• Mood stabilizing drugs

There is Hope

If you need help, there is hope! Reach out to a licensed mental health professional that treats borderline personality disorders.