How Borderline Personality Disorder Impacts Relationships

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder surrounded by a lot of misconceptions yet hardly understood because it has a significant impact on how a person feels about themselves and others, particularly the way the sufferer feels about other people. Probably the most problematic part of BPD is how it affects personal relations, especially with a romantic partner, friends, and family members.

Severe emotional pain, instability and lack of relationship security are some of the effects of BPD. Healthy living with BPD can be draining to the individual as well as those around them. Whether you or someone you love is having problems developing and maintaining a relationship with someone who has BPD, it is good to know what is going on and how you can get assistance.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline Personality Disorder is a disorder of mental health which is distinguished by patterns of fluctuating moods, self-image as well and behavior. Based on available resources and the guidance of mental health professionals, such as the Mayo Clinic, a person with BPD, tends to have problems with impulse control, relationships, and the fear of abandonment.

The frequent ones are

• Quick changes of mood
• Inability to trust people
• Violent anger or depression
• Distorted self-image
• Emptiness moods
• The thoughts of or attempts at suicidal behaviors or Self-harming.

Such symptoms may cause one to be unstable in a variety of aspects of life yet the effects are usually felt most clearly in personal relations.

How BPD Affects Relationships

Fear of Abandonment

An abiding thought that one can be abandoned or rejected is one of the most notable symptoms of BPD. Fears and anxiety can be acute even when changes seem minor, such as one of the partners coming home late to work or a lack of response to a message by a friend. This anxiety may result in tendencies of clinging, emotional blackmail or desperate attempts to prevent the actual or the perceived loss of separation.

Emotional Volatility

Individuals living with BPD feel and hold on to their emotions longer and strongly as compared to other people. A small conflict or an insult real or perceived may have descended into insurmountable anger, sadness or depression. This will normally lead to a pattern of conflict and reconciliation, which is usually difficult to contain for both couples.

Devaluation and Idealization

There is a tendency to go to extremes in relationships with an individual with BPD. One instant the partner can be idealized i.e. perceived as ideal and loved, and then he/she can be devalued or even loathed. Such a kind of black-and-white thinking results in confusion and emotional distress for all the individuals involved.

Impulsive and Risky Behaviors

The condition of BPD is correlated with impulsive activities which may consist of overspending, substance abuse, unsafe sex, or risky driving. These acts may bring a lot of pressure on trust and stability in a relationship. When used together with excessive emotional outbursts or withdrawal, it causes serious long-term damage unless professionally aided.

Problem of Intimacy

Patients with BPD are usually in need of intense emotional attachment but they might not know how to hold on to it. They have strong emotional needs that the partners may find overwhelming, so they may feel pressured, fear, or even resent them. Intimacy can thus become unsafe or disorganized even with love in the relationship.

The Effect on Partners, Family, and Friends

Being in a relationship with or caring about someone with BPD is a very fulfilling experience, yet it is also very taxing. Friends and relatives can experience:

• Burnout and emotional rollercoaster fatigue
• Manipulation or blame-shifting resulting in confusion or self-doubt
• Feeling guilty because they could not address the difficulties through fixing or helping enough
• Laden with relationship stress due to the withdrawal of social networks

Unaddressed BPD-mediated relationship stress may cause anxiety, depression, or even trauma to the partner or the members of the family over time. It is for this reason that it is important to pursue the assistance not only on behalf of the individual with BPD but also on behalf of their loved ones.

Healing Is Possible With the Right Support

Though BPD may profoundly influence relationships, relationships can be healed and developed, and that is with proper treatment. Therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness-Based Interventions have become effective in assisting individuals with their emotional stability, self-awareness, and creating healthier connections.

It is also possible to prescribe medication to treat other symptoms such as anxiety or depression when they occur. The crucial point is to develop an elaborate care program, which will be inclusive of the person and the surroundings.

Orlando Treatment Solutions is Here to Help

We know what Borderline Personality Disorder is all about and how it can so strongly impact a relationship at Orlando Treatment Solutions. Our personnel culture shows compassionate, evidence-based care to each client according to their needs.

If you are struggling with BPD or you are looking after a loved one, then you need not be alone. Our mental healthcare providers have experience working with BPD to help it using therapy modalities that have been scientifically proven to help individuals, including the use of DBT, trauma-informed care, and holistic support structures that have assisted in restoring emotional equilibrium and relationship status.

Now you have to take the first step. Call Orlando Treatment Solutions to discover more about our specific patient programs and services we offer to help the patient or a loved one reclaim hope, recovery, and real relationships.

Final Thoughts

Borderline Personality Disorder is never a death sentence for broken relationships. Through the creation of empathetic, patient, and professional treatment, quality, stable and long-term relationships and emotional health can be achieved. Do not wait till relationships cannot be fixed anymore; find the guidance to keep going.