Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a clinical term for a psychological condition associated with emotional extremes. It is characterized by uncommonly labile and severe mood shifts, as well as impulsive behavior, struggles with self image, unstable interpersonal relationships, extreme fears of abandonment and periods of dissociation. BPD is recognized as a mental disorder in people over 18 years of age, but symptoms are often also seen in adolescents and even children.
Many of the characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder noted in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders involve emotion dysregulation. This is a term used by mental health professionals to refer to marked fluctuation of moods (mood swings), as well as poorly modulated emotional responses to the actual actions or perceived motives of others.
Extreme Mood Swings, Irritability and Anxiety
Those who suffer with BPD find it extremely difficult to control how they express their moods and emotions. The emotional centers in their brains actually overpower the logical centers. While most people can find healthy ways to feel better when something upsets them or they feel a bad mood coming on, people suffering emotion dysregulation find themselves overwhelmed with sadness, anxiety and/or irritability.
Difficulty controlling anger
Emotional dysregulation can make people respond with inappropriate anger to people or events in their daily lives. They may go from a calm and sweet demeanor to a violent rage in an instant when something happens to set them off. Family members and romantic partners of those with BPD walk on eggshells every day, uncertain when the next explosion of anger may occur.
Difficulty in calming down
After an emotional outburst, BPD sufferers take much longer to get back to a normal mood than others. They may stew in angry feelings or continue to stomp and slam things and be unpleasant to others far longer than would seem warranted.
Dissociation
Once a person experiencing emotional dysregulation comes out of an emotional state such as violent rage, they often don't remember how extreme their feelings or responses were. They may not even understand why those around them are so upset by what has just transpired. Signs of emotion dysregulation may include violent outbursts, destruction of living spaces or personal objects out of anger, unusually aggressive behavior, and threats of homicide or suicide. These manifestations of Borderline Personality Disorder can take an incredible toll on social interactions, friendships, and romantic and family relationships.
People who are living with Borderline Personality Disorder feel the same emotions that we all experience, but with emotional dysregulation, those feelings are unpredictable and off the charts in intensity. Because of the inherent lack of impulse control involved in BPD, they often act on emotions without consideration of the consequences. Many people who experience emotional dysregulation have problems maintaining relationships, parenting effectively, succeeding in school, or holding steady jobs.
For an updated, more in-depth look at this topic, see Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.