Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most complicating disorders for mental health professionals and researchers. Why? BPD is complicated based on many factors such as the environment (i.e, upbringing, influences, etc.), temperament, genetic predisposition, age at which BPD was identified and treated, treatment recommendations, etc. So much goes into identifying, understanding, and coping with BPD. What makes matters more complicated is the unraveling of convoluted symptoms by family, caregivers, friends, and mental health professionals. For example, some individuals with BPD struggle a great deal with being told about their diagnosis by a mental health professional. This may cause the individual, who once idealized their therapist, to devalue, dislike, and disregard them. Another example may include an adolescent with BPD traits expressing suicidal thoughts to his mother while simultaneously appearing to enjoy the attention of the “sick role.”

Treating and helping a loved one with BPD symptoms requires internal strength, patience, and knowledge. This article will highlight 7 challenging characteristics of individuals with BPD. Next week’s article will focus on ways to cope with these 7 characteristics as a friend or family member.