Object Constancy-A person’s ability to trust that just because something disappears from view for a short time that it will come back. As adults, object constancy is the ability to maintain a connection to another person even when they are not present
Abandonment-People with BPD both fear abandonment and have symptoms that create conflict with others and often leads to abandonment, which then reinforces the fear
Anxiety-Anxiety and panic attack symptoms are common in people with BPD. Symptoms of anxiety occur in almost 90% of people with the disorder
Attachment- The types of attachment found to be most characteristic of BPD subjects are unresolved, preoccupied, and fearful
Bipolar-Most people who have a dual diagnosis of Bipolar and BPD receive one diagnosis before the other. That’s because the symptoms can overlap and sometimes mask the other
Boredom-Individuals with BPD may be troubled by chronic feelings of emptiness. Easily bored, they may constantly seek something to do
Boundaries-One of the most effective ways to help a loved one with BPD gain control over their behavior is to set and enforce boundaries
Cheating-While those with BPD have the same likelihood of cheating as others, they do have a higher likelihood of suspecting their partners of cheating. One of BPDs symptoms is an assumption that others are going to cause hurt. Due to low self-esteem, they have difficulty believing that someone could love them and remain faithful to them
Codependency-This is a serious problem that can affect many people with BPD. Codependency is a behavioral and psychological condition in which a person sacrifices their own needs and wants in order to maintain an unhealthy relationship. It is also called “Relationship Addiction”
Control-Recent evidence from researchers indicates that a treatment called emotion regulation group therapy helps people with BPD avoid self-harming behavior by improving their emotional control
Depression-People with BPD often describe feeling intensely bored, restless, and/or desperately lonely when they are depressed. Further, depressed episodes in people with BPD are often triggered by interpersonal losses
D.I.D.-D.I.D. is a dissociative disorder which is a disorder characterized by an interruption of conscious awareness, and by alternating personality states. BPD may cause people to dissociate, which is a symptom of BPD, not a distinct personality
Disability-If someone with BPD has so much trouble controlling behavior that keeping a job has become impossible, disability benefits may be available
Dating-Dating with BPD may be difficult because BPD is marked by intense and stormy interpersonal relationships, it’s part of the diagnostic criteria of BPD
Emotions-Emotional Sensitivity-loved ones aren’t the only ones confused when someone with BPD has an emotional reaction, Emotional Reactivity-a person with BPD not only reacts with extreme emotion, Slow Return to Baseline-people with BPD also have a hard time calming down and stay upset longer
Empathy-BPD is a mental illness marked by unstable moods. Results of studies showed that people with BPD traits had reduced activity in brain regions that support empathy
Fear-Individuals living with BPD struggle with feelings of emptiness, a lack of self-esteem, and a deep seeded fear of abandonment. In many instances, fear of abandonment is the most prominent symptom for BPD sufferers
Favorite Person-When someone with BPD uses the term Favorite Person to describe someone else, they are typically insinuating that this is a person they cannot survive without. For BPD sufferers, the favorite person is the person who is a source of emotional support and dependence
Gaslighting-When someone invalidates your feelings, makes you feel low, and uses your illness against you
Guilt-It is normal sometimes to have feelings of guilt because mistakes are made, and shame sometimes because patterns of behavior may be in need of adjustment to better align with values and morals. But in cases of BPD, feelings of guilt and shame tend to take on a type of permanence rather than transcience
Intelligence/High Intelligence-Results of a study suggest that factors associated with the best outcomes for patients with BPD include high intelligence, unusual artistic talent, and physical attractiveness
Identity-Many people with BPD struggle with identity issues-one of the core symptoms of BPD, but people with BPD often have a very profound lack of sense of self
Intimacy-People with BPD are often terrified that others will leave them, however, they can also shift suddenly to feeling smothered and fearful of intimacy, which leads them to withdraw from relationships
Jealousy-Following a passionate beginning, expect a stormy relationship that includes accusations, anger, jealousy, bullying, control, and breakups due to the insecurity of the person with BPD. Nothing is grey or gradual, things are black and white
Lying-People with BPD often experience deep and entrenched shame, so lying may be one way to conceal mistakes or weaknesses that increase shameful feelings
Lithium-Research is limited, but it does appear that mood stabilizers can treat some BPD symptoms effectively. The most-studied med is Lithium, which can be effective in treating BPD anger and irritation
Memory-Data indicate memory impairment is BPD patients in everyday life. However, it cannot be ruled out that increased memory complaints result from patients’ negative self-perception
Nightmares-BPD is associated with high rates of suicide risk and problems related to sleep, including insomnia and nightmares
Omega 3-Those treated with this compound experienced a significantly greater reduction in their overall aggression as well as their depressive symptoms, it may be an effective monotherapy for women with moderately severe BPD
Overthinking-One of the reasons a person with BPD uses overthinking is because there is an anxious urge to try and avoid a difficult emotional experience, and so they try to anticipate how life events will unfold in advance-considering all the various details and running scenarios in their head
Psychosis-Psychotic features in BPD are a long known phenomenon. As the name of the disorder signifies, it was originally introduced to describe the patients who seemed to be on the border between neurosis and psychosis
PTSD-PTSD and BPD co-occurence, both have been found to stem from the experience of traumatic events, the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors seen in BPD are often the results of childhood traumas
Relationships-People with BPD tend to have more former partners and tend to terminate more relationships in their social networks than people without personality disorders. This suggests that romantic relationships with people with BPD are more likely to end in a breakup
Rage-Lashing out in anger, a hallmark of BPD, often stems from one basic yet intense and overriding fear-the fear of being alone. People with BPD often go into a panic or rage when they feel that they are being abandonedor are left alone, whether that abandonment is real or imagined
Revenge-Lying for revenge is by no means limited to women with traits of BPD. How much overlap there is between BPD and not only overly-intense emotional reactions but also narcissism, paranoia, sociopathy, and sometimes sadism as well is unclear
Self-image-Self-esteem is a term that refers to how we think about ourselves. If you have BPD, you may struggle with low self-esteem which can negatively impact your life, but if you have BPD, feeling capable and serving may be very rare, instead, you may feel incompetent or worthless more often
Splitting-For people with BPD, splitting is a commonly used defense mechanism that is done subconciously in an attempt to protect against intense negative feelings such as loneliness, abandonment, and isolation
Stigma-Common stereotypes include that BPD patients are dramatic, manipulative, and attention-seeking. These stereotypes can cause therapists to not take your symptoms or fears seriously, negatively impacting your health
Self-harm-If you have BPD, self-harm is not a symptom you have to live with. You can heal from BPD, cutting, and self-harm
Trauma-Most people who suffer from BPD have a history of major trauma, often sustained in childhood. This includes sexual and physical abuse, neglect, and separation from loved ones
Trust-Individuals with BPD have difficulty establishing stable, trusting relationships, and they fear abandonment from significant others, they’re prone to feelings of betrayal and misplaced trust in others
Unconditional Love-Unconditional love cannot cure BPD, but to somebody with BPD who is working towards recovery, it is a 10 out of 10 in importance. Since they believe they are worthless and bad, total acceptance helps them learn they are lovable
Violence-Intense, inappropriate anger is one of the most troubling symptoms of BPD. In fact, it’s so intense that it’s often referred to as “Borderline Rage”
Validation-Emotional validation is the process of understanding another person’s emotional experience. People with BPD may have issues with this from others
The BPD Group 