BPD: Bordering Darkness and Light
“Borderline personality disorder is a mental health condition that affects the way people feel about themselves and others, making it hard to function in everyday life. It includes a pattern of unstable, intense relationships, as well as impulsiveness and an unhealthy way of seeing themselves. Impulsiveness involves having extreme emotions and acting or doing things without thinking about them first” (May Clinic, 2024).
If the Mayo Clinic states this information, then surely it must completely sum up the diagnosis, correct? The aforementioned paragraph misses a large portion of what BPD truly is, which is a combination of incredible thought patterns that can border brilliance and danger, often simultaneously. Therefore, we have a lot of work to do in the field in order to end the stigma attached to the diagnosis.
If you Google Borderline Personality Disorder, it could sound “scary”, to put it lightly. Self destructive behavior, impulsivity, suicidal ideation, promiscuity, inability to attach in a healthy manner, etc. The goal would be to one day search “BPD”, and also see results that include the fascinating, nurturing, often “too loving of others versus themselves” side of the diagnosis. Try to Google that, and you will likely struggle to find many, if any, results from accredited sources.
You might be asking yourself why this is true, considering research has been done regarding the symptoms and structure of this potential diagnosis since 1938 when Adolph Stern identified behaviors and thought patterns that were difficult to place into one particular category, hence the term “borderline”, indicating the individuals bordered multiple diagnosis that were identified during that era, but did not quite fit into one (The British Psychological Society & Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2009).
Since this article’s purpose is to shed light on the positive side of BPD, let’s go ahead and reference the small bit of clinical literature that is available relating to this topic. According to EUPD Recovery, there are eight identifiable, and often common, traits amongst individuals with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. Those traits are noted as being: loyalty, empathy, resilience, courage, elation, creativity, resourcefulness, and intuition.
To sum up this information regarding noted positive traits, individuals with BPD have a large fear of abandonment, therefore they tend to value friendships, and often prioritize keeping relationships alive. Individuals with BPD also have heightened sensitivity, therefore often can truly believe they feel the emotions of others on a deeper level, hence the increase in empathy. Resilience is another common factor, as individuals with this diagnosis tend to come from a background of trauma, therefore, the internal battle of navigating through difficulties of their past can often be subconsciously present in day to day life, yet they still complete activities of daily living. Being direct is another symptom of BPD, therefore, having courage in socially difficult situations is another positive trait. Elation is noted in individuals with BPD, as the diagnosis comes with an indescribable ability to feel emotions on a much larger scale. Therefore, negatives are felt deeply, but so are positives. People with BPD also tend to have an intensely creative mind, as art, music, writing, etc. are found as an outlet to release the pent up emotional energy from the day to day. Resourcefulness comes from the notion that individuals with BPD often have to be quick thinking due to complex emotions that are frequent, which leads to higher rates of problem solving. Finally, intuition, which may be the most helpful of all eight noted positives, is common for the individual with BPD, as they are quite aware of the intensity and range of emotions they feel, which in turn, leads to a heightened sensitivity for the feelings of those in their presence (EUPD Recovery, 2022).
In closing, the goal of this article, as previously stated, was to ensure that the side of BPD often not discussed, the positive side, was addressed. 1.6% of the US adult population has a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. What do we know about statistics? They are estimates, as they do not incude the indviduals who have not had the opportunity to seek help. Therfore, the actual percentage is likely to be higher than that which is reported. You may know someone with BPD, or you yourself may either have the diagnosis, or think you align with some of the characteristics. If you fall into any of those categories, the goal would be that the article gave you a sense of hope and clarity in understanding that not only is BPD something that is largely misunderstood, but it is incredibly unique, and undeniably productive, beneficial, promising, and pragmatic. While there are obvious struggles that note the negative side of BPD, there is plenty of literature available that has highlighted that side for decades. It’s time for individuals with BPD and the loved ones of those with the diagnosis, feel a sense of pride, rather than shame. As we know, change starts with one person. Is it you?
References
Facts about borderline personality disorder (BPD) | ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County. ADAMHS. (2012). https://www.adamhscc.org/resources/facts-about-mental-illness/borderline-personality-disorder
Jo. (2019, December 31). 8 positives of BPD / EUPD. EUPD Recovery. https://eupdrecovery.com/home/2019/12/31/8-positives-of-bpd-eupd
National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (UK. (2009). Borderline Personality Disorder: Treatment and Management. Nih.gov; British Psychological Society. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK55415/
Mayo Clinic. (2024, January 31). Borderline personality disorder - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20370237