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Borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD), or emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), can cause quick mood swings, often triggered by relationships. Our advice can help you understand the condition and where to get help and support.

What is 'borderline' or 'emerging borderline' personality disorder?

Two boys looking at a phone and smiling in the park.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition where you experience strong emotions that can change quickly. You might have intense mood swings, feel unsure about who you are, or struggle with your relationships.

Emerging borderline personality disorder is when you start to show early signs of BPD, but the full disorder might not be diagnosed until later. Early support and treatment can help stop symptoms from getting worse, so it’s important to reach out for help.

What do we mean by 'personality disorder'?

A personality disorder is a mental health condition where someone thinks, feels, and acts very differently from what people expect. These patterns last a long time and can make everyday life harder.

Having a personality disorder doesn’t mean you’re a ‘bad’ person. It means you struggle with how you see yourself and relate to others. This can cause problems in daily life, like struggling to keep friendships, feeling abandoned and unable to cope, and struggling to control your reactions.

Everyone goes through emotional stuff, but some people need extra support. If these struggles last a long time, you might need help to break the cycle.

Signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder

Everybody experiences BPD differently, but here are some common signs:

  • extreme mood swings (changing from day to day or even hour to hour)
  • feeling alone and abandoned
  • doubting who you are or feeling empty
  • wondering if anyone really cares
  • difficulty keeping close relationships
  • risky behaviour with drugs, money or relationships
  • impulsive and dangerous behaviours (like reckless driving)
  • self-harm or suicidal thoughts
  • intense anger
  • hearing voices

There’s no clear cause to BPD, but it often develops from trauma and difficult experiences growing up. Genetics may also make you more vulnerable to developing it.

The hardest part is recognising that there’s a problem. Often, family and friends spot it first. BPD can be really tough to live with, but with the right support, you can start breaking negative patterns and build healthy relationships again.

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Getting help and support for borderline personality disorder

If you think you have BPD, reaching out for help is the first step. Talk to someone you trust, like a friend, teacher, relative, faith leader or counsellor. It can feel hard, but we have tips in our guide that can help.

Get tips on reaching out for help

You should also book an appointment with your GP. They’ll ask about how you’ve been feeling and behaving. Don’t be scared to be honest – they’ve heard it all before. If you’re nervous, you could write down what you want to say and bring it to your appointment.

Your GP can’t officially diagnose BPD, but they can refer you to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or your local mental health team for an assessment. They can help you find help in your area, like support groups.

Get advice on how to speak to your GP

Treating borderline personality disorder

It’s thought that talking therapies are the most helpful treatment for BPD. This might include:

  • dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) – helps you learn skills to cope with intense emotions
  • cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) – focuses on improving relationship patterns
  • mentalisation based therapy (MBT) – helps you understand your own and other peoples’ thoughts

These therapies often use coping strategies like mindfulness to boost self-esteem and improve relationships.

Find out more about counselling and therapy
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Medication isn’t usually recommended for treating BPD because no medications have been proven to work. But doctors do sometimes prescribe medication, like antidepressants, antipsychotics, or mood stabilisers.

If you're in a crisis, your doctor might give you a short-term prescription for something like a sleeping pill or tranquilliser to help you calm down. But these should only be used for a week or less.

It’s common for people with BPD to also deal with other mental health problems like:

Having other mental health problems can affect the treatment you get. For example, lots of people with BPD have anxiety or depression and might be prescribed antidepressants. It can also make it harder to diagnose BPD, so it’s important to be upfront with your GP about all your symptoms. This will help you get the right support.

Looking back, for a long time I had suffered alone and didn't realise I could ask for help. Don’t let fear prevent you from getting the support you deserve.
Charlotte

Get help now

If you're struggling with BPD, you don’t have to face it alone. Take a look at these services that can help.

More information and support

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