I was fascinated by today’s Personal Health column by Jane Brody, which focuses on borderline personality disorder. Having known someone who is a “borderline,” I was intrigued by the following description from Jane’s column.

People with the disorder are said to have a thin emotional skin and often behave like 2-year-olds, throwing tantrums when some innocent word, gesture, facial expression or action by others sets off an emotional storm they cannot control. The attacks can be brutal, pushing away those they care most about. Then, when the storm subsides, they typically revert to being “sweet and wonderful,” as one family member put it.

The titles of books about borderline personality disorder tell you a lot about what it’s like to live with someone who has it. “I Hate You, Don’t Leave Me,” by Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus is among the most popular. Other titles include “Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder” by Paul T. Mason and Randi Kreger and “Understanding the Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship” by Christine Ann Lawson.

Read Jane’s column, “An Emotional Hair Trigger, Often Misread,” and then join the discussion below. Do you or someone you know have borderline personality disorder? Please share your story.

And do you have a question about borderline personality disorder or its treatment? Marsha Linehan of the University of Washington, who developed a form of therapy to treat the disorder, is answering readers’ questions on the Consults blog, “An Expert Look at Borderline Personality Disorder.”