Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a complicated and difficult mental illness to manage. Nearly 6 percent of the population will display at least a characteristic of BPD during their lifetime. However, the fact that there are different types of borderline personality disorder only adds to the complexity of the problem. That means that different people – and there are millions – will experience BPD in different ways.
It’s generally accepted that there are four types of borderline personality disorder. Each is quite different from the others, but there can be some crossover in terms of symptoms. The guide below will differentiate these different types for you, as recognizing them could lead to you recognizing a symptom or symptoms in yourself or in someone you love. If that happens, we hope that you’ll get the help you need as soon as possible, as this is an illness that can be managed.
Borderline Personality Disorder Defined
Borderline personality disorder is most generally defined as a condition that severely limits or even prevents a person from regulating his or her emotions. As such, people suffering from BPD often struggle to maintain healthy and functional relationships. A person must display at least four of the symptoms listed below in order to obtain a diagnosis of BPD:
- Persistent feelings of emptiness or nothingness
- Ongoing suicidal ideation
- Self-harming behaviors
- An unstable sense of self
- Intense anxiety or irritability
- A pattern of dysfunctional romantic relationships in which the other person is mistreated
- Impulsive behaviors in at least two areas which pose significant risks
- Explosions of rage and anger or difficulty in managing anger
Generally, a person with BPD will wildly overreact to emotional situations. For instance, if someone with borderline personality disorder experiences an argument with a loved one, he or she will not really be able to move past it. Instead, that person will endure a prolonged period of intense distress. He or she may even go so far as engaging in self-harm or plot out acts of revenge and manipulation to “get even” with the other person.
It is critical that a person with BPD gets help. Like other mental illnesses, allowing it to fester will only make things worse, and it could lead to dire consequences. According to New York Presbyterian Hospital, approximately 70 percent of people with BPD attempt suicide, and about 10 percent of BPD sufferers complete this tragic act.
Fortunately, an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can help people manage their symptoms and learn to cope with the realities of this disease.
The Types of Borderline Personality Disorder
Theodore Millon, a renowned researcher, is credited with creating the classifications or types of borderline personality disorder. According to his work, there are four of them. Each is described below:
Impulsive Borderline Personality Disorder
People with impulsive BPD tend to seek attention relentlessly and engage in wild risk-taking behaviors. People who fall into this category are often quite charismatic, persuasive or even seductive.
Unfortunately, they are also extremely prone to self-harm and suicidal ideation. In terms of symptom overlap with other types of borderline personality disorder, those with impulsive BPD can be melodramatic, intensely emotional and extremely unpredictable with their behavior.
Discouraged Borderline Personality Disorder
People who suffer from discouraged borderline personality disorder are often extremely clingy, co-dependent, and not assertive. Also, they’re often compliant and agreeable in a variety of situations. Theirs is a pathological need for acceptance, no matter the consequences.
Given that reality, people with discouraged BPD often feel depressed and trapped, leading to extreme struggles with anger and self-loathing. As is the case with other types of borderline personality disorder, people in this subgroup are prone to self-harm and suicidal ideation.
Petulant Borderline Personality Disorder
People who have petulant borderline disorder are often seen as impossible to please. They are pessimistic, think the worst of themselves and others and they are offended easily. All of this makes them feel unwanted, unloved and alone. They tend to react to being offended with anger or even rage.
Individuals with petulant BPD are those who engage in what is known as “push-pull” behavior in their relationships. They will feel a strong bond with someone, and once that’s achieved they manipulate them and ultimately push them away. Petulant BPD is often diagnosed as depression or paranoid personality disorder.
Self-Destructive Borderline Personality Disorder
Those with self-destructive BPD tend to be introverts by nature. They also loathe themselves often and as a result think nothing of doing incredibly risky things, as they see their situation as one with nothing to lose. One unusual common trait for people in this category is quickly conforming to the beliefs of others and then rejecting them with intense anger.
Such anger and frustration may not only be directed to others but also towards themselves. In fact, people with self-destructive BPD face an increased rate of suicide. They also share characteristics of those suffering from depression disorders.
Treatment Options For Borderline Personality Disorder
There are three common treatment options for the different types of borderline personality disorder: talk therapy, medication, and day treatment.
Talk therapy – Talk therapy just what it sounds like: People talk with a therapist about the thoughts and feelings that give rise to their symptoms. Talk therapy helps people learn to control distressing situations and to cope with intense emotions before they inflict harm on themselves or others.
Medication – There is no medication designed to treat any of the different types of borderline personality disorder. However, some medications can help with underlying symptoms. Antidepressants are one example, as they can help minimize the self-loathing and hopelessness that people with BPD often experience.
Keep in mind that usually, talk therapy and medication are used in combination with one another. That way, a patient can talk through their emotions while reducing their symptoms.
Day treatment – Day treatment is intensive, and is usually used only in emergencies. It’s for those who are headed towards a crisis and who need stabilization. Day treatment is still treatment, but it’s accelerated in form and can also involve alternative medications for crisis stabilization.
How SoCal Empowered of Idaho Can Help
Each of the different types of borderline personality disorder is a serious situation. Each needs professional intervention so that the person suffering from it and his or her loved ones can avoid potentially disastrous results. The good news, as stated, is that it can be managed and people can learn to cope with symptoms.
As is the case with any mental illness, the sooner someone gets help, the better the result most of the time. That’s why you need to contact us as soon as possible if you’re concerned that borderline personality disorder is affecting you or a loved one. We can help you decide if further assessments would be helpful, and from there, we can help you plot a course for treatment and hopefully improvement of the situation.
Contact us today to get started.
