If you have BPD, you are not alone

1.4% of adults in the U.S. have borderline personality disorder. That’s over 3.6 million people.

Famous people with BPD:

  • Brandon Marshall
  • Pete Davidson
  • Doug Ferrari

People with BPD say it feels like

  • “An emotional burden to me and everyone else in my life”
  • “Being constantly worried, fearful, and suspicious”
  • “An exhausting and frustrating trap that I can’t escape”
  • “It’s hard to know who I actually am versus who my BPD wants me to be”
  • “Lashing out at loved ones, followed by guilt and fear that they’re upset with me”

Signs and symptoms of BPD

People who have BPD may have all or some of the following signs and symptoms:

  • Frantic efforts to avoid real or perceived abandonment
  • Intense mood swings lasting hours or days
  • Impulsivity and/or risky behavior
  • Unstable intense relationships
  • Self-injurious or suicidal threats or behaviors
  • Acts of self-sabotage
  • Chronic feelings of emptiness
  • Inappropriate, intense anger and rage
  • Unstable sense of self, including changing goals and values
  • Dissociation and feelings of detachment
  • Trouble trusting others

Having BPD is not

  • Being manipulative. Some behaviors associated with BPD can seem manipulative, but manipulation is intentional. Individuals with BPD don’t intend to cause harm, and usually resort to these behaviors in a desperate attempt to have their emotional needs met.
  • An excuse for abuse. BPD can be very emotional and unpredictable, but that doesn’t make it okay to cause unchecked harm to others. Mental health challenges are never an excuse for abusive behavior.
  • Hopeless. Historically, BPD was thought to be untreatable, but current research shows that therapy, self-awareness, and support can greatly improve symptoms.

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If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.