Signs and symptoms
... Signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder may include: Difficulty controlling emotions or impulses Frequent emotional ups and downs Impulsive actions Mood swings Stormy relationships Inten...

Causes
... The term borderline comes from the thinking of psychiatrists in the 1940s and 1950s that the disorder bordered on and shared features of psychotic and neurotic disorders. But that view doesn''t reflec...

When to seek medical advice
... If you feel like hurting yourself, seek help at the emergency room. If you''re abusing drugs or alcohol or have an eating disorder, see your doctor to find the underlying cause and to seek treatment. ...

Screening and diagnosis
... Doctors look for at least five of the following signs and symptoms to determine if a person has borderline personality disorder: Intense fears of abandonment A pattern of unstable relationships A prec...