I Hate You — Don't Leave Me

01Diagnosing and explaining Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is tough

Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD for short, is a tricky mental health condition that's been on the books since 1980. But even though it's been around for a while, doctors and psychiatrists are still scratching their heads about what exactly causes it and how best to treat it. This makes it a tough nut to crack when it comes to diagnosing and understanding it. One of the things that makes BPD so complex is that it doesn't look the same in everyone. For example, someone with BPD might have a small argument with a friend, blow it out of proportion, and end the friendship on the spot. Then, a few weeks later, they might act like nothing ever happened. This kind of unpredictability is a hallmark of BPD, and it's one of the reasons why it's so hard to pin down a set of symptoms that fits everyone. People with BPD are often seen as walking contradictions because they can act in ways that are harmful to themselves, and they might even make suicidal gestures. In fact, up to 70% of people with BPD have tried to take their own lives, which just goes to show how serious and complicated this condition can be. The big book that mental health professionals use to diagnose mental disorders, the DSM-IV-TR, lists nine things to look for when diagnosing BPD. To get a diagnosis, a person has to show at least five of these symptoms, which can include things like going to extreme lengths to avoid being abandoned (even if it's just in their head), not having a clear sense of who they are, having intense and unstable relationships, acting impulsively in ways that could hurt them, making suicidal threats or gestures, feeling empty a lot of the time, showing anger inappropriately, and having temporary bouts of paranoia when they're stressed. When it comes to treating BPD, it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. The treatment plan is tailored to the individual and focuses on four main areas, depending on what symptoms they're showing. These areas are mood instability, impulsivity and risky behavior, problems with relationships, and distorted thinking and perception. Understanding BPD is important not just for doctors, but also for the friends and family of those who have it. By knowing what the symptoms are and how it's treated, they can create a supportive environment that doesn't make the condition worse. But because BPD is so complex and varies so much from person to person, this can be a tough task, which just goes to show how hard it is to diagnose and understand this condition.