1. Mood Swings
One of the ways to recognize borderline personality disorder symptoms is through its characteristic mood swings. Even more than bipolar disorder, individuals with borderline personality disorder have rapid swifts in mood. Moods range from extreme anger to extreme sadness. These shifts come suddenly, without warning to either the person affected or to the persons who are around them at the time. It may also seem as if there is no precipitating factor for the person's mood to change.
Aggression and anger are also associated with many of these mood swings, often for inappropriate reasons. Many times these mood swings appear when individuals are feeling abandonment, whether or not the abandonment is real or only perceived. Impulsivity issues are also associated with these individuals and may appear in the form of wild spending, sexual activity, substance abuse and other dangerous, risky behaviors.
2. Self-Injurious Behavior
Another symptom of borderline personality disorder is self-injurious behavior. This may be characterized by self-mutilation, wrist cutting or even overdosing on medications. These episodes are generally more frequent than in someone who is typically depressed and may appear after an episode of anger or other inappropriate display of emotion. The person with borderline personality disorder may resist treatment for these destructive behaviors, resulting in the behavior repeating itself over time and in various methods.
3. Chaotic Relationships
Persons with borderline personality disorder generally have a history of chaotic relationships. Personality disorders are notoriously difficult to treat and are manifested on a long-term basis rather than episodically. Relationships with a person who has borderline personality disorder may exist in extremes. Persons generally have deep-seated abandonment issues and may appear to be clingy or manipulative on many different personal levels.
The abandonment issues may cause more than 1 issue since the person affected will not be able to tolerate time alone or time away from the persons with whom they are in a relationship. Their relationships often end on a difficult note, since it is almost impossible for the borderline personality to imagine the relationship ending. The person who chooses to stay in a relationship with a borderline personality should understand that these behaviors are not likely to improve significantly without therapy and medication to help control mood swings and any underlying abandonment issues. Otherwise, it may be necessary to end the relationship when it is no longer healthy for either individual involved.
