Borderline is one of the most well-known personality disorders in our current society. But what exactly is borderline and what are the symptoms of borderline? How can you decide if someone suffers from borderline or if they do not? The DSM is one of the most well-known diagnostic manuals of our time. In the DSM-IV borderline is described as something characterized by constantly changing relationships, feelings of self-worth, and impulsivity. To diagnose borderline, 5 out of 9 symptoms of it must be present according to the DSM. In this article we describe the borderline symptoms as well as possible treatments.
Borderline symptoms: symptoms of borderline
The first symptom of borderline is the changing of relationships and the opinion on these relationships. People with borderline find it difficult to sustain relationships. At one point, someone with borderline might idealize a certain relationship, while the next moment the person with borderline criticizes that same relationship. If they find that someone is no longer good enough or that the relationship is no longer useful, people with borderline will be quick to belittle that person. So the first borderline symptom is: ever-changing relationships with people, and changing opinions about those relationships. Another characteristic is that people will start acting weirdly in order to be left, or supposedly be left. The third characteristic is that people with borderline are quick to change moods. One moment they are happy, and a few hours later they are extremely sad. Just like their opinion on their relationships, their opinion of themselves changes very often. This is the fourth characteristic. one moment they like themselves, while the next moment they are annoyed by everything about themselves. They thus have some type of identity disorder. Their self-image is constantly changing and their self-esteem is also influenced by these ever-changing emotions. On top of this, people with borderline often experience an empty feeling. This in itself can lead to the next symptom: people with borderline often attempt suicide. They threaten to do it, actually do it, or self-harm. Furthermore, people with borderline have issues with impulsivity. They find it hard to hold back their impulses, which often has negative consequences on their relationships. Often, this impulsivity leads to a next symptom: people with borderline often suffer from angry outbursts. A final symptom is that people with borderline often have delusional ideas, which can be bound to stress.
Borderline symptoms: treatment
Because stress can worsen the borderline symptoms, it is important to deal with stress. A symptom of borderline is having delusional ideas, which can be caused by stress. Dealing with stress can thus be useful. It can cause the symptoms to decrease in severity. The online self-help program by '15Minutes4Me.com' has been developed to guide you in dealing with stress, depression, and anxiety. It can help you to reduce stress, and thereby help decrease the presence of symptoms of borderline.
Borderline symptoms: do the stress test
To find out to what extent stress could influence your borderline symptoms, you can do the free stress test.
