Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): Acknowledging the Challenges by Maram Barakat, M.A.

Updated: Oct 18

Let’s recognize the challenges of living with BPD—intense emotions, unstable relationships, and an unclear self-image. But there’s hope!

Treatments such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and other therapeutic approaches can help manage these struggles, regulate emotions, and pave the way to a more fulfilling life.

Remember, you’re not alone on this journey!

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Frantic Efforts to Avoid Real or Imagined Abandonment

People with Borderline Personality Disorder may experience intense fears of abandonment and become very distressed and dysregulated when faced with real perceived separation or rejection. As a result, they can often engage in extreme behaviors to prevent the abandonment such as begging, clinging and calling incessantly, etc.

A Pattern of Unstable and Intense Interpersonal Relationships

People with Borderline Personality Disorder often have intense and unstable relationships marked by repeated fights and arguments. The relationships are characterized by alternating between idealization and devaluation of a person, switching between extremely loving a person (all-good) to hating them (all-bad) very quickly.

Identity Disturbance and Unstable Sense of Self

People with Borderline Personality Disorder who experience this system generally cannot identify who they are. Their values, interests, goals and self-view can often easily shift depending on people and circumstances. Some might even feel that they do not really exist.

Impulsive in at Least Two Areas That Can Impact Function

People with Borderline Personality Disorder who experience this symptom can engage in self-destructive behavior and behave impulsively, especially during stressful situations. These behaviors include overspending, binge eating, engaging in unsafe sex, using substances, etc.

Recurrent Suicidal and Self-Injurious Behavior

People with Borderline Personality Disorder can often experience thoughts, behaviors, and urges of not wanting to live anymore or can inflict pain on self, particularly during moments of intense emotional pain, (self cutting, head-banging, etc.).

Emotional or Affective Instability

People with Borderline Personality Disorder can have difficulty tolerating or regulating negative or unwanted emotions (sadness, anger, anxiety, etc.) and those are often extremely painful and intense. As a result, they might be highly reactive as a way to reduce the pain felt.

Chronic Feelings of Emptiness

People with Borderline Personality Disorder can frequently experience a persistent sense of emptiness, numbness and lack of fulfillment. These feelings are also associated with boredom, lacking purpose, loneliness, etc., like a void or hole.

Disassociation Paranoia

People with Borderline Personality Disorder can experience feelings of unreality or disconnection from themselves or the world when under extreme stress. They may also be very mistrusting and have non-delusional paranoid thoughts such as people are talking about them behind their back, nobody loves them, etc.

Intense and Inappropriate Anger/Difficulty Controlling

People with Borderline Personality Disorder can experience constant anger that often feels uncontrollable. This anger is usually disproportionate to the prompting event.

Understanding the challenges of BPD is essential for fostering empathy and support. If you or someone you know is struggling with these issues, don’t hesitate to reach out. Lukin Center is here to provide guidance, resources, and a listening ear.

Remember, you are not alone on this journey, and help is available. Together, we can navigate the path toward healing and a more fulfilling life!

Maram Barakat, M.A., is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She has a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a special focus on global mental health and research methods. She is primarily interested in providing access to quality mental health services in low-to-middle income countries and vulnerable populations. She is especially passionate about working with survivors of abuse and violence. In fact, she has integrated her passion with her academic interests by focusing her master's thesis on culturally adapting and implementing cognitive processing therapy to Syrian refugee women who have experienced sexual violence during and post-displacement. Maram has worked as a mental health professional and advocate in Lebanon, Uganda, and New York for the past six years. At the Lukin Center, Maram will be taking on the role of social media manager. Her main responsibilities entail managing and monitoring the center's social media platforms, creating content, increasing engagement, and more. Apart from her professional interests, she enjoys acting, karaoke, and extreme sports.