When someone with borderline personality disorder (BPD) interacts with someone else, they often do so in a way that is called "narcissistic mirroring." This means that they take on the characteristics of the other person to try to feel closer to them.
Mirroring can be a form of Dissociation, where a person's strong feelings create “facts” which are less than true. A man switches accents to mimic a colleague. A woman wears identical clothing to her friend. A mother wears her daughter's clothing.
BPD mirroring, is when a borderline learns to become your “other half.” They know that if they say they like the same things you like, it will draw you in. They copy your behaviors so you start seeing yourself in them. The difference is, the Borderline doesn't know they are doing this most of time.
According to Dr. Katherine Phillips of Cornell University, based on the findings of the scientific literature and our own research to date, Mirror Syndrome (also known as Body Dysmorphia Syndrome) is a mental disorder related to body image that is more widespread than it might seem.
While BPD patients avoided such a cue slightly more often, they were more often aware of their behavior than healthy participants. As possible explanations, a negative body related, shame-prone self-concept as well as a simultaneously increased degree of self-focused attention are suggested.
With quiet BPD, you'll likely try to hide these symptoms from others, resulting in intense periods of anger, guilt, or shame directed toward yourself. You may hide impulsive behaviors or try to repress your moods. You might also withdraw or isolate from others.
Individuals with BPD were not more invested in their appearance as a source of self-definition but evaluated their own appearance more negatively and were more likely to believe that attractiveness is an important factor for happiness and acceptance.
Behavioural mimicry was increased in BPD. However, this effect was less pronounced in those BPD patients who reported the highest levels of loneliness. Our findings emphasize that mimicry is a complex construct and only some of the involved processes are altered in BPD.
An individual with BPD will often explain that they often feel like a chameleon- changing who they are to fit whatever is going on in their environment. Because being alone is so often intolerable to a Borderline person, they grasp at whatever straws they can to feel included.
While researchers are still trying to pin down the precise areas where BPD and autism overlap, it seems clear that many traits are indeed shared, especially among females. In one study, nearly half of women diagnosed with BPD also met diagnostic criteria for autism when assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient.
Feeling Out of Touch With Reality
Many diagnosed with BPD feel suspicious about events in their lives. They struggle with feelings of suspicion and paranoia about the intentions of people around them. When they are stressed, they may lose touch with reality and become disassociated.
However, some experts believe that narcissistic mirroring may be a form of self-medication for people with BPD. The disorder can lead to manipulation, control, and emotional abuse. If you are in a relationship with someone with narcissistic mirroring, it is important to seek help.
Narcissistic mirroring is a manipulation tactic used by narcissistic individuals to create a false sense of connection with another person by mimicking their personality, interests, or beliefs. Mirroring means subconsciously mimicking another person's actions, body language, speech, and attitudes.
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.
The symptoms of BPD are very broad, and some can be similar to or overlap with other mental health problems, such as: Bipolar disorder. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) Depression.
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.
People with BPD are very sensitive to rejection. They may lie or exaggerate to cover mistakes or to maintain an overly positive image so that others will not reject them.
Mirroring is reflecting an image back. Projecting is casting an image as if onto a blank screen. In psychological terms, projections can be positive or negative, but they are always external representations that may bear little to no relationship with the person they are ascribed to.
Some key signs of the fawning trauma response include: You look to others to see how you feel in a relationship or situation. You have trouble identifying your feelings, even if you're alone. You feel like you have no identity or authentic self.
By adopting their mannerisms, repeating phrases or language patterns that they tend to use and mirroring their character traits, a person may attempt to appease a person. This defense mechanism was described by Anna Freud as identification with an aggressor.
A person with borderline personality disorder tends to anxiously avoid being separated from or abandoned by people they care about. They might go to extreme lengths such as stalking people they care about through tracking their phone or following them.
Romantic fantasization is a common feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD).
People with BPD often engage in self-sabotaging behavior. This can include: Oversharing. Misplaced anger.