Since the introduction of personality disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1980's, BPD has been viewed by clinicians as a female-specific disorder [5]. The DSM-5, for example, indicated that approximately 75% of individuals diagnosed with BPD are females [1].
Borderline Personality Disorder happens more often in women because they are socialized to be more dependent on others (a symptom of BPD) and can be more sensitive to rejection. Mental health professionals and therapists who diagnose women with BPD may be biased.
It's usually diagnosed in teens and young adults, though it may also be diagnosed later in life. It seems to affect more women than men. Family members—You are five times more likely to develop BPD if a close family member like a parent or sibling has BPD.
BPD in Men Versus Women
One recent study concluded that BPD affects approximately 6.2% of women and 5.6% of men.
Although a person of any gender may experience similar symptoms, there are signs of BPD that are more prevalent in men, including intense displays of anger, antisocial behavior, and substance use, among others.
BPD in particular is one of the lesser-known mental illnesses, but all the same it is one of the hardest to reckon with. (Some people dislike the term so much they prefer to refer to emotionally unstable personality disorder.)
At the end of the day, people with BPD can fall in love; it just takes some work from both sides of the relationship. Treatment is the first step — options may include: Individual and couple's therapy. Medication.
The NHMRC Guideline suggests Australia has a population prevalence of 1-4%. > Based on a population prevalence estimate 1-4 %, in South Australia we would expect approximately 17,000 – 68,000 South Australians to be living with BPD.
People with Borderline Personality Disorder have a reduced life expectancy of some 20 years, attributable largely to physical health maladies, notably cardiovascular. Risk factors include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and smoking.
Separations, disagreements, and rejections—real or perceived—are the most common triggers for symptoms. A person with BPD is highly sensitive to abandonment and being alone, which brings about intense feelings of anger, fear, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, and very impulsive decisions.
Researchers think that BPD is caused by a combination of factors, including: Stressful or traumatic life events. Genetic factors.
Recognizing a BPD Episode
Intense outbursts of anger are indicative of an episode of BPD as are bouts of depression and anxiety. Eighty percent of those suffering from BPD experience suicidal thoughts and behavior while in the throes of an episode as well.
Childhood abuse and trauma: Up to 70% of people with BPD have experienced sexual, emotional or physical abuse as a child. Maternal separation, poor maternal attachment, inappropriate family boundaries and parental substance use disorder are also associated with BPD.
People with BPD also have a tendency to think in extremes, a phenomenon called "dichotomous" or “black-or-white” thinking. 3 People with BPD often struggle to see the complexity in people and situations and are unable to recognize that things are often not either perfect or horrible, but are something in between.
Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPDs) become overwhelmed and incapacitated by the intensity of their emotions, whether it is joy and elation or depression, anxiety, and rage. They are unable to manage these intense emotions.
Borderline personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age.
Borderline intellectual functioning, previously called borderline mental retardation (in the ICD-8), is a categorization of intelligence wherein a person has below average cognitive ability (generally an IQ of 70–85), but the deficit is not as severe as intellectual disability (below 70).
National Disability Insurance Scheme
Some people with BPD may meet the criteria for the NDIS, in particular those who have co-existing mental and physical health diagnoses. It is possible for people to recover from BPD however, and to go onto the NDIS, it is required you have a permanent disability.
Overview. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious, long-lasting and complex mental health problem. People with BPD have difficulty regulating or handling their emotions or controlling their impulses.
It can be distressing for the person with borderline personality disorder and the people around them, and it is often misunderstood. It is the most common personality disorder in Australia, affecting about 1 to 4 in every 100 people at some time in their lives.
Intense episodic irritability or anxiety lasting a few hours or more than a few days). Recurring feelings of emptiness. Frequent intense, inappropriate anger or issues controlling temper. Severe dissociative symptoms or stress-related paranoia.
Borderline personality disorder relationships and cheating may occur due to the impulsivity associated with this mental health condition. Recent research has shown people with BPD are more sexually impulsive and likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than those without BPD.
Lying, like other signs and symptoms of the condition, tends to occur because the person with BPD is unable to regulate their feelings and impulses. It's an act borne out of pain and fear. Often, people with BPD even believe their own lies.