September 2019 • happiful.com • 85People with BPD often
feel worried about
people abandoning
them – and would do
anything to stop
that happeningBPD IS DIFFERENT TO BIPOLAR
DISORDER
There is a lot of confusion
between BPD and bipolar
disorder – and often this is
because bipolar disorder is
abbreviated to BPD as well.
But, bipolar is a mood disorder
categorised by periods of mania
and depression that can last for
weeks at a time, while BPD is a
personality disorder.
BPD DOES NOT MAKE YOU
A BAD FRIEND OR PARTNER- STRUGGLING WITH
RELATIONSHIPS IS PART OF THE
CONDITION
People with BPD tend to have quite
intense friendships, due to one of
the symptoms of the condition:
having intense, but unstable,
relationships with others. Because
of this, a lot of people with BPD
find maintaining relationships
extremely difficult. Often they
can be affected by a strong fear of
abandonment, and having very
intense emotions. So, a person
with BPD may get upset and obsess
over things that a person without
the condition wouldn’t be as
bothered by. But this doesn’t make
them a bad friend or partner,
and it’s important that people
understand the condition in order
to better support and help their
friends through this element of
their condition.BPD AFFECTS MULTIPLE AREAS
OF A SUFFERER’S LIFEBPD is categorised by four parts:
emotional instability; disturbed
patterns of thinking or perception;
impulsive behaviour; and, as
mentioned, intense but unstable
relationships. It’s more than
just having outbursts of intense
emotions – though that is a large
part. People with BPD often feel
worried about people abandoning
them – and would do anything to
stop that happening. They don’t
have a strong sense of who they
are, and their personalities can
change significantly dependingon who they’re with. People with
BPD feel lost and empty a lot of the
time, and act impulsively, doing
things that could harm them –
such as binge-eating, using drugs,
driving dangerously, or the over-
consumption of alcohol. They can
find it impossible to control their
anger, and may have episodes of
paranoia and dissociation.PEOPLE WITH BPD ARE STILL
PEOPLE – SO DON’T CATEGORISE
THEM BY THEIR DISORDERThough in all honesty, the
disorder does have the potential to
consume a person, it is possible to
learn to cope with it with the right
help, and to find ways to handle
situations – such as controlling
their anger and emotions before
they get too out of hand. But
remember that BPD is an illness,
and it needs treatment. So please
don’t give up on someone just
because they have the disorder.
Be understanding, offer support,
and don’t be too quick to misjudge
them when they’re struggling.
People with BPD can make the
most loyal friends.For more from Hattie, follow her
on Twitter and Instagram
@hattiegladwell