NHS has shared four signs that may suggest you're suffering from borderline personality disorder

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and self-harm which some readers may find distressing.

There are four key signs that suggest you're suffering from the most commonly diagnosed personality disorder: borderline personality disorder (BPD).

BPD is a disorder of mood and how a person interacts with others.

A US counsellor previously explained the signs he looks out for when diagnosing BPD in men which he thinks many people mistake for ‘normal’ behaviour.

Generally, the NHS explains a person with a personality disorder will differ quite significantly to those without one in terms of how they think, perceive, feel or relate to others.

And it groups the symptoms into these four areas which you might spot in someone who is suffering from BPD.

Those with BPD tend to think differently. (Getty Stock)

Emotional instability

This also has the psychological term ‘affective dysregulation’.

The NHS explains those with BHD may experience a range of, sometimes intense, negative emotions including rage, sorrow, shame, panic, terror and long-term feelings of emptiness and loneliness.

A sufferer may also experience severe mood swings over short spaces of time.

It’s also common for those with BPD to feel suicidal, but then switch to feeling quite positive a couple of hours later.

Disturbed patterns of thinking or perception

This can also be classed as ‘cognitive distortions’ or ‘perceptual distortions’ as the NHS explains people with BPD can be affected by different types of thoughts.

These include the likes of upsetting thoughts such as thinking you’re a bad person or feeling as though you don’t exist.

It can also include brief episodes of strange experiences like voices, as well as prolonged episodes of abnormal experiences.

It can result in 'love-hate' relationships. (Getty Stock)

Impulsive behaviour

For people with BPD, there are two main types of impulses they may find very difficult to control.

The first is the impulse to self harm which can lead to them feeling suicidal or attempting suicide.

And the second is a strong impulse to do reckless and irresponsible things including binge drinking, drug misuse or gambling sprees

Unstable relationships

Those with BPD may feel that people either abandon them when they need them or they get too close to them.

Feeling abandoned can lead to experiencing intense anxiety and anger which can cause a person to make ‘frantic efforts’ to prevent themselves from being left alone.

And the two patterns can often end up creating a ‘love-hate’ relationship with people.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.