If you have a child or other loved one that seems to be struggling with their mental health, you are likely understandably worried about them and their well-being. You may even suspect that they have a personality disorder or another mental health condition. One mental health condition that few people know much about is borderline personality disorder. Get to know some of the signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder. Then, if you notice your loved one exhibiting these symptoms, you can encourage them to seek out psychological services as soon as possible. 

Rapid Mood Swings

One of the many signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder is rapid mood swings. A person with this condition can be happy one minute and enraged or depressed the next. These mood changes and shifts can come on without warning and suddenly. This can be very frustrating and even scary to the person having the mood swings and everyone around them. 

Because mood swings are also a sign of bipolar disorder, people with borderline personality disorders can often be mislabeled as being bipolar. The difference in mood swings with bipolar is that they usually last longer. In other words, a person with bipolar may be depressed for several days and then suddenly happy and joyous (manic). In borderline personality disorder, several shifts in mood can occur on the same day which is rare with bipolar disorder. 

Unstable Relationships and Splitting

Relationships are a major struggle for most people with a borderline personality disorder. Their relationships are intense and often short-lived. For example, they can become completely enamored and obsessed with a romantic partner. Their feelings are intense and they likely cling to that person so much that their entire world revolves around that partner. 

Then, abruptly, this can shift and suddenly they hate their partner and can't stand them. They can go back and forth between love and hate so much that it is hard to keep track until the relationship falls apart. This can also occur in relationships with family and friends. If your loved one has a hard time maintaining relationships and/or expresses these shifting feels of love and hate (known as splitting), they may have a borderline personality disorder. 

Self-Destructive Behaviors and/or Self Harm

People with borderline personality disorders can often act impulsively and engage in self-destructive or self-harm behaviors. Cutting is common among people with borderline personality disorders. Other self-destructive behaviors can include being sexually reckless, reckless driving, drug and alcohol abuse, binge eating, excessive spending, and the like. These behaviors are all damaging to the person in different ways. 

Now that you know some of the signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder, you can be sure that you help your loved one seek out treatment for their mental health issues. The first step is to get a psychological evaluation to help diagnose the condition, and then therapy and possibly medications can help to treat it.