BPD – Borderline Personality Disorder.

According to the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD likely arises from a combination of inheritable and environmental factors. BPD is a serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships problems. In 1980 it was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Third Edition(DSM-III) for the first time as a diagnosable mental illness. Most psychiatrists and other mental health professionals use the DSM to diagnose mental illnesses. Reportedly it was called ‘borderline’ initially because those with severe BPD may have brief psychotic episodes believed to be versions of other mental illnesses and challenges. Common symptoms revolve around problems with regulating emotions and thoughts, impulsive and reckless behavior, and unstable relationships with other people. Individuals with BPD tend to have high rates of other co-occurring disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders, along with self-harm, suicidal behaviors, and sometimes successful suicides. BPD is more common than both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, affecting two percent of adults, mostly young women.