How to write a character with borderline personality disorder !! The do’s and dont’s

Before we begin, let’s know the basics. What is BPD?

Borderline personality disorder is a disorder that impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life. It includes self-image issues, difficulty managing emotions and behavior, and a pattern of unstable relationships.

Signs and symptoms may include:

- An intense fear of abandonment, even going to extreme measures to avoid real or imagined separation or rejection

- A pattern of unstable intense relationships, such as idealizing someone one moment and then suddenly believing the person doesn't care enough or is cruel
- Rapid changes in self-identity and self-image that include shifting goals and values, and seeing yourself as bad

- Periods of stress-related paranoia and loss of contact with reality, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours
- Impulsive and risky behavior,
- Suicidal threats or behavior or self-injury, often in response to fear of separation or rejection

- Wide mood swings lasting from a few hours to a few days, which can include intense happiness, irritability, shame or anxiety
- Ongoing feelings of emptiness
- Inappropriate, intense anger, such as frequently losing your temper And being sarcastic or bitter

When writing a character with BPD, it’s important to remember that their disorders doesn’t define them and you should write out the character before giving them a disorder. It should naturally blend into their personality.

Ways you can learn more about BPD to write your character include:
- reviewing blogs that talk about npd
- read scholarly articles on the disorder
- Talk to a person with BPD

As one article put it “When writing about characters with borderline personality disorder, it may help to think of a time when you felt particularly emotionally vulnerable or on-edge. Maybe it was during a stressful period, during your teenage years, or after a traumatic event—“

“Did you feel like your emotions were close to the surface, easily sparked? Think about what it would be like to feel this way all the time. You may be able to understand your BPD character a little better now as we go through the diagnosis criteria.”

Remember your character must have at least 5 of the criteria required for a BPD diagnosis. Learn what these 5 are and build off of your character is ways that will collegiate their storyline to their disorder

DONT: make only their conflict their disorder, treat it like its it’s own character. What does bpd make your character do? What changes do they go through during the period of the story that lead them to their conflict?

DONT: focus solely on the angry aspect of BPD, anger is sort of a complicated offshoot of other core issue. Most people with BPD feel empty and insecure. Anger is one reaction to triggers, but so is hysteria, dejectedness, or even numbness, depending on the person

DO: Just please avoid stereotypes. We're seen by pop culture as evil, manipulative people when the majority of the time it's the opposite, we’re helpful and can be very outgoing when the time comes to it! We can feel many degrees of empathy,

DO: read about BPD in other books and movies! I’ll give some recommendations I found below

DONT: portray the character as a robot / non human life form if you can help it. This only further alienates people with BPD

Here are some movie characters with classic BPD
- silver Linings Playbook: Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence)
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Protagonist (Rooney Mara)
- Black Swan: Nina (Natalie Portman) and Beth (Winona Ryder)
- White Oleander: Mother and Daughter

This thread is based of my own experience with the disorder, so if there’s anything you’d like to add or misinformation please do let me know!!