Research has indicated that individuals with BPD are predominately characterized by fearful and/or preoccupied attachment styles; however, rates differ among studies (Fonagy et al., 2003; Dozier et al., 2008; Scott et al., 2013; Buchheim et al., 2017).
In the case of AVPD, people who have if often have borderline personality disorder as well, with studies suggesting that more than 40 percent of men and women with BPD will also meet the criteria for avoidant personality disorder.
Insecure attachment and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are defined by similar affective and interpersonal processes. Individuals diagnosed with BPD, however, represent only a subset of those described as insecurely attached, suggesting that attachment may hold broader relevance for socio-affective functioning.
It is called 'borderline' because doctors previously thought that it was on the border between two different disorders: neurosis and psychosis. But these terms are no longer used to describe mental illness. It is sometimes called emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).
Unlike disorganized attachment whose features appear specifically in relation to the caregiver, borderline symptomatology is pervasive and occurs in a variety of contexts. In this respect, BPD could perhaps reflect a generalization of the attachment pattern developed within the relationship with a specific caregiver.
Fearful attachment, they go on to note, may be related to the tendency of people with BPD traits to want to be close to others but to be reluctant to do so. The anger of people with BPD can, furthermore, be understood as reflecting a “behavioral script” that these individuals use to keep their partners close.
People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense mood swings and feel uncertainty about how they see themselves. Their feelings for others can change quickly, and swing from extreme closeness to extreme dislike. These changing feelings can lead to unstable relationships and emotional pain.
Neurodivergence includes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Tourette Syndrome, as well as some long-term mental health conditions, such as depression and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
When individuals with BPD start a relationship, the attachment system becomes initially activated. They easily idealize a new attachment figure, as they did with the parent. They attach with the intense and overwhelming need for affection that they felt as children and was never fully (or not at all) met.
People with BPD can act overly needy. If you take them out of their comfort zone, or when they feel “abandoned” they can become a burden.
People with BPD feel firmly attached to their favorite person and may depend on them for comfort, reassurance, and guidance. In many cases, someone with BPD may rely entirely on their favorite person. As a result, they may idealize them and expect them to always be available.
Some BPD signs that are specific to the discouraged borderline include: Loyalty, even to an excessive degree. Pliant and easily swayed by others, even when it goes against one's own desires. Submissive and passive even when desiring a leading role.
Another hallmark of borderline personality disorder is having a favorite person—usually a family member, romantic partner, or someone in a supportive role, such as a teacher or coach. For someone with this type of BPD relationship, a “favorite person” is someone they rely on for comfort, happiness, and validation.
Anxiously attached individuals with borderline personality disorder may relate more to the descriptions of "classic" BPD, where the fear of abandonment and instability in interpersonal relationships are core features. Individuals high on the avoidance dimension have developed negative views of others.
One of the most common misdiagnoses for BPD is bipolar disorder. Both conditions have episodes of mood instability. When you have bipolar disorder, your mood may shift from depression to mania, in which you experience elation, elevated energy levels and a decreased need for sleep.
BPD is considered to be one of the most serious mental illnesses, as it causes a great deal of suffering and has a high-risk for suicide.”
How are personality disorders treated? Personality disorders are some of the most difficult disorders to treat in psychiatry. This is mainly because people with personality disorders don't think their behavior is problematic, so they don't often seek treatment.
Many people with BPD feel emotions deeply and find working in a caring role fulfilling. If you are an empathetic person, consider jobs such as teaching, childcare, nursing and animal care.
Borderline personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age.
Stressful or traumatic life events
Often having felt afraid, upset, unsupported or invalidated. Family difficulties or instability, such as living with a parent or carer who experienced an addiction. Sexual, physical or emotional abuse or neglect. Losing a parent.
The Hermit: Hermits feel constantly betrayed by others and take criticism as a condemnation of who they are. They are constantly criticizing others to mask their own inner shame. They may socially isolate to quell their own fears and paranoia.
This novel study found that for people with BPD, chronic emptiness is experienced as a sense of nothingness and numbness that reflects a feeling of disconnection from both self and others. It is associated with feelings of unfulfillment and purposelessness.