Do you have a history of unstable and difficult relationships? Do you desperately try to avoid being alone?  Do you often act impulsively, tend to overreact emotionally, have feelings of emptiness, have trouble controlling anger?  Are you fearful of abandonment?  Do you tend to swing between intense admiration and hatred of others?  Have you ever injured yourself intentionally?  Have you experienced episodes of severe paranoia?  Do you have a deep-seated belief that you are flawed in some way?

If a lot of these symptoms apply to you, then you may be suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.  This is a complex condition characterized by unstable relationships, impulsivity and poor self-image.  It is more common in women than men, and is more likely to occur if there is a history of trauma, abuse or neglect in your childhood, and if you have reached adulthood without developing a clear sense of who you are.  Sufferers often seek relief from their inner pain by cutting or harming themselves.  People with Borderline Personality usually have other mental health problems as well, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse.

In the past this condition was considered untreatable, however there has been a lot of research to show that there can be great improvement in people’s functioning and happiness through long-term psychotherapy, specifically Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).  This is often done in a group setting, where the goals include: better understanding and control of behaviour, increased ability to manage emotions, improved interpersonal skills and helping people create lives worth living.  There is no specific drug therapy, although sometimes antipsychotics can be very helpful to control distorted thinking.

If you think you might have Borderline Personality, it’s worth talking to your doctor and asking to see a psychiatrist for assessment.  It could turn your life around.