BPD Support Community Group
Borderline Personality Disorder is defined as a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity. Not many people understand the pain and hurt that goes through the minds of...
Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I was recently diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder but the medication doesnt seem to be helping as much as my doctor said it would. I cycle between moods very very quickly for someone who has bipolar 2 and am wondering if I maybe have BPD. Could any of you tell me how you realized you have BPD and kind of explain symptoms! I appreciate this in advance! Thanks :)
Symptoms of BPD and my experience with each symptom:
- Intense fear of abandonment
- This is the biggest and most common symptom of BPD. I am constantly afraid that my friends and family are going to leave me and the emotions that come with this fear are really intense and can make you act irrationally. This fear can also cause a lack of trust in others, which makes relationships really really hard.
- Unstable intense relationships
- One minute you can idealize someone and the next minute you don't want anything to do with them.
- Rapid changes in self-identity and self-image
- Sometimes it feels like I become a whole other person
- Paranoia that can last a few minutes to a few hours
- Sometimes this ties into the fear of abandonment for me and I get paranoid that everyone is going to leave me so I shut everyone out before they get a chance to hurt me. I also tend to get paranoid that people are just out to hurt me.
- Impulsive and risky behavior
- My impulsive behavior usually revolves around self-harm and suicidal behaviors, but it can be other things as well, such as gambling, unsafe sex, reckless driving and so on.
- Suicidal threats or behavior or self-injury, often in response to fear of separation or rejection.
- Unfortunately, up to 10% of patients with BPD will die by suicide. I have personally been hospitalized multiple times because of my own issues with suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
- Wide mood swings lasting from a few hours to a few days.
- I have so many mood swings sometimes I don't know which way is up. It gets very frustrating because you can be fine one moment and the next you want to die.
- Ongoing feelings of emptiness
- This is pretty self explanatory
- Inappropriate intense anger.
- I have had very little experience with this symptom. I used to blow up at my ex, but honestly he provoked me by belittling me each time, so I've never had random blow ups out of nowhere.
- Intense emotions
- For some reason people with BPD feel more intensely than others. Sometimes my emotions get so intense that I can't think straight.
- Dissociation
- Dissociation can feel like you're having an out-of-body experience, or like you're in a dream, or like you're emotionally numb or detached. I experience this on a regular basis and it can get very irritating.
I hope this information helps. I must say that I am in no way a professional, so I suggest that you seek a professional diagnoses. Take care.