Emotion Regulation
Borderline Personality Disorder
Also known as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, BPD
Intense, fast-changing emotions and relationships, often developing after early environments where feelings were not reliably met.
What it can feel like
- Emotions that escalate very quickly
- Fear of abandonment, and intense reactions to it
- Unstable sense of self or emptiness
- Impulsive behaviour under stress
- Self-harm or suicidal thoughts during crises
Not everyone has every symptom, and you do not need a label to deserve support.
Things that help
Name the feeling early
Emotions at this intensity escalate fast. Naming what you feel at level three prevents the climb to level nine.
Build a crisis kit
A written list of what helps in the first hour: cold water, movement, a specific person, distraction. Decide while calm.
Let relationships hold a both-and
People can be caring and disappointing at once. Practising that middle ground reduces the swinging between idealising and cutting off.
Want to actually do these? Save them to your practices and tick them off as you go.
Add to my practicesWhen to reach for more support
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is the best-evidenced treatment. Ask your GP or mental health team about a DBT programme.
Often looked at together
Avoidant Personality Disorder
A long-standing pattern of feeling inadequate and expecting rejection, leading to avoidance of work, social and intimate situations.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Repeated outbursts of anger out of proportion to the trigger, with real distress or consequences afterwards.