Borderline Personality Disorder

Also known as BPD

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 by
Steven Gans, MD
Steven Gans
Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Updated on July 23, 2024

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by unstable relationships, behaviors, moods, and emotions. It affects how someone sees themself. Left untreated, BPD can cause significant issues in a person’s life disrupting their work, school, day-to-day events, and their relationships with others. 

Like many psychological disorders, the causes of BPD are complex and not fully known. But with appropriate help and treatment, people diagnosed with BPD can live a better quality of life and reduce their symptoms.

Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder

BPD triggers
What Are Common Triggers With BPD?
father scolding son
Can Childhood Invalidation Cause BPD?
Mother and daughter on nature walk
Healthy Coping Skills for People With Borderline Personality Disorder
Anger
The Link Between Anger and BPD

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What causes BPD?

    Although the exact cause of BPD is unknown, researchers believe that genetic, biological, and environmental factors play a role in this complex disorder. For instance, there is strong evidence that childhood trauma such as abuse and neglect may be associated with BPD.

    Learn More: Causes of BPD
  • Is BPD genetic?

    Similar to many other psychiatric disorders, there is evidence that BPD is highly heritable. People who have a first-degree relative with BPD have an increased risk of developing the condition, but this fact does not guarantee they will be diagnosed.

    Learn More: Genetic Causes of BPD
  • What are the criteria for BPD?

    To diagnose someone with BPD, mental health clinicians ascertain if a person has displayed five or more of the criteria for BPD such as emotional instability, impulsive behavior, unstable self-image, inappropriate anger, idealization and devaluation in relationships, suicidal or self-harming behaviors, transient stress related paranoid ideation or dissociative symptoms.

    Learn More: Criteria for Diagnosis of BPD
  • How is BPD treated?

    In most cases, BPD is treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy. However, there are times when a person with BPD may be hospitalized to protect themselves and others. There are several evidence based psychotherapies often used in the treatment of BPD including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), and Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP).

    Learn More: Treatment Options for BPD

Key Terms

  • Mental Illness

    A mental illness is often diagnosed when a person experiences disturbances in their thought patterns, feelings, or behaviors. Typically, these disturbances impact a person’s life by causing distress for them at work, at school, or in their relationships and activities.

    Understanding Mental Illness
  • Psychological Evaluation

    A psychological evaluation consists of a series of interviews, tests, and assessments to measure a person’s behaviors, thoughts, and emotions and help mental health professionals arrive at a diagnosis. These evaluations are also used to help guide a person’s treatment.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy

    DBT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to teach people how to live with the intense and challenging emotions that accompany BPD. Developed in the late 1980s, DBT helps people learn how to regulate their emotions and behaviors, improve their relationships, and develop mindful ways of coping with stress.

    How Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Works
  • Mentalization-Based Therapy

    MBT is an evidence-based treatment option for people with BPD in which they learn how to engage in mentalizing. Mentalizing, which involves being able to separate one's emotional state from that of others, helps people with BPD learn how to think before they react to their emotions or the perceived feelings of others.

  • Transference-Focused Psychotherapy

    TFP is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach for people with BPD. It uses the idea of transference—the concept that people will bring their problematic emotional reactions into the therapy relationship itself. The therapist utilizes these interactions to bring attention to aspects of the patient's mind they may not be fully aware of. This can lead to potential emotional and relationship growth.

Avoidant personality disorder can lead to isolation.
Avoidant Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment
Therapist and patient in counseling session.
History of the Term 'Borderline' in Borderline Personality Disorder
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What Are Cluster C Personality Disorders?
Considerations for BPD assessment
Borderline Personality Disorder Assessment: The Process for Diagnosis
Man looking in dirty mirror
Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PD-NOS)
Teenager taking test
McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder
Patient during psychoanalysis session
BPD Criteria for Diagnosis
male patient talking to his therapist
ADHD vs. Borderline Personality Disorder
a person comforting their friend
Understanding the BPD Favorite Person Relationship
Upset parent pointing at daughter at doctor's office
Factitious Disorder Imposed by Another (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy)
Woman looking in the mirror
What Is Identity Disturbance?
Couple arguing over sports car
What Is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
Sad woman sitting on the chair in a hospital ward and looking out window
Suicidality in Borderline Personality Disorder
Depressed teen
Self-Mutilation and Borderline Personality Disorder
Compulsive shopping
What Is Impulsivity?
Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Depressed woman with head in hands.
Mood Swings in Borderline Personality Disorder
Young woman sitting on sofa, looking at distressed man at table
How Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Can Distort Thinking Processes
Woman leaning against brick wall
Research on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Subtypes
Depression
Cluster B Personality Disorders
Mature counselor listens compassionately to unrecognizable female client
What Are Personality Disorders in the DSM-5?
Narcissism
Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissism
Friends dancing together at party
Histrionic Personality Disorder vs. BPD: What Are the Differences?
sad woman thinking
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment
Mature woman with head in hands
A Guide to When BPD and Depression Occur Together
Affectionate couple hugging face to face
The Link Between Borderline and Dependent Personality Disorders
Pensive
Bipolar Disorder vs. BPD: What Are the Differences?
difficult relations in the couple
Antisocial vs. Borderline Personality Disorder: What Are the Differences?
Nervous man giving a speech
BPD and the Sympathetic Nervous System
Woman being watched by a man
Paranoid Ideation
A middle-aged man holds his hands in front of his face, clearly upset
Emotion Regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Young Woman Sits in the Back of a Convertible, Her Arms in the Air, Laughing With Joy
Disinhibition (Impulsivity) in BPD
Young couple having an argument outside
What Is Dichotomous Thinking?
Smiling woman admired by her boyfriend
Idealization and Devaluation in BPD
Depressed/Sad girl
Borderline Personality Disorder in Teens
Older man reading book on dock at lake
How BPD Symptoms May Change With Age
splitting in borderline personality disorder
Splitting and Borderline Personality Disorder
woman nervously looking behind her in public place
Tips for Easing Paranoia in Borderline Personality Disorder
couple meets with therapist
The Link Between Borderline Personality and Violence
BPD can negatively impact relationships.
Why People With Borderline Personality Disorder Tend to Lie
Frustrated mother rubbing her temples while child plays in background
How to Reduce the Risk of Inheriting BPD
Stressed woman looking at her cell phone
Causes of Borderline Personality Disorder
Adult's hand on see-saw, girl (3-5) sitting on opposite seat
The Relationship Between Child Abuse and BPD
synapse with neurotransmitters
Reuptake in Mental Health Medications
doctor writing a prescription
Types of Medication for BPD
Therapist talking with patient
Transference-Focused Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder
Student and psychologist talking in office
What to Do If You Want to Quit Going to Therapy for BPD
Teenage girl (16-17) talking to therapist
Mentalization Based Therapy for BPD
Caucasian woman talking with therapist in therapy
Qualities of a Great Therapist for BPD
Conceptual Close-Up Of A Pill
Understanding Psychotropic Drugs
Women in a group therapy session
Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment, Recovery, and Remission
group therapy session
Dialectical vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for BPD
Hispanic woman at therapy session
How Schema-Focused Therapy Works for BPD
Woman talking at interview
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for BPD
Young woman and psychologist talking
Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment
Couple sleeping together in bed at night
Borderline Personality Disorder and Your Sex Life
Tips to have a successful career with borderline personality disorder
Careers for People With Borderline Personality Disorder
Woman fidgeting with her wedding ring
Borderline Personality Disorder and Cheating
Shot of young wife expressing empathy and compassion to her sad frustrated husband.
How BPD Affects Romantic Relationships
Stressed woman with her head in her hands
Suppressing Emotions and Borderline Personality Disorder
Page Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. American Psychological Association. Understanding psychological testing and assessment.

  2. Bateman A, Fonagy P. Mentalization based treatment for borderline personality disorder. World Psychiatry. 2010;9(1):11-15. doi:10.1002/j.2051-5545.2010.tb00255.x

  3. Society of Clinical Psychology. Transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder.