Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious, chronic mental illness, characterised by mood swings and unstable behaviour and interpersonal relationships, which affects many areas of life (education/work, affective, relationships and family). People suffering from this disorder tend to show:
- Difficulties in regulating their thoughts and emotions.
- Impulsive and imprudent behaviours, which may include self-harm and suicide attempts, with difficulties in maintaining stable behaviours oriented toward life goals.
- They establish unstable relationships with others.
The first symptoms may appear during adolescence (key period in personality development) or the early years of adulthood. Diagnosis is complex, since it often takes place along with other mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders or substance addiction.
It is estimated that it affects between 1 and 2% of the general population, and may account for 10% of psychiatric diagnoses.
Although it is considered a serious mental disorder, it can be effectively treated with specific treatments, obtaining satisfactory results helping people suffering from it to lead a more stable life. Today, there are different therapeutic focuses, and research work is still being actively carried out to find new treatments that help patients to reach an even higher degree of recovery.