May 14, 2023
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When you’re struggling with consistent negative emotions or harmful behavior, you may be tempted to just brush it off. But how do you know if you’re just going through a temporary hard time, or if it’s something deeper? There are tests that can help you determine potential mental health issues.
Mental health issues, like borderline personality disorder (BPD), have symptoms that everyone may experience from time to time. But the frequency, severity and number of symptoms are what sets a disorder apart from typical thoughts and behaviors. So how do you know if you have BPD?
If you’re concerned that you may have borderline personality disorder, there are questions that you can answer to determine if you align with the criteria for a BPD diagnosis.
Read on to learn about the basics of borderline personality disorder as well as a borderline personality disorder test that can help you calculate the likelihood of a BPD diagnosis.
What is borderline personality disorder?
Borderline personality disorder is a Cluster B personality disorder. Cluster B personality disorders refer to highly emotional and erratic behavior and thinking.
Borderline personality disorder has a 5.9% lifetime prevalence rate. In fact, 20% of the psychiatric inpatient population is made up of people with BPD.
People with BPD have fluctuating emotions, which can result in impulsive behavior and struggles with self-image. These traits can interfere with their ability to cultivate healthy relationships with others.
Symptoms of borderline personality disorder include:
- Limited tolerance for distress
- Fear of loneliness
- Rapidly changing personal identities
- Emotional instability
- Self-sabotaging behaviors, such as unsafe sex or a gambling addiction
- Threats of suicide
- Self-harm behavior
Who is the borderline personality disorder test for?
The borderline personality disorder test can help you if you think you may exhibit symptoms of the mental health disorder. The test will help you analyze your thoughts, emotions and behaviors to see how they line up with the symptoms of BPD.
It’s important that you answer as honestly as possible. While it’s not always easy to acknowledge the ways that you’re struggling emotionally or psychologically, being honest with yourself can help you determine if you need further mental health assistance to improve your overall well-being for the future.
The accuracy of the self-assessment
The borderline personality disorder self-assessment is a good gauge of how you align with the criteria for BPD, but it shouldn’t be taken as a formal diagnosis. If the results indicate that you have borderline personality disorder, you should consult a mental health professional for further analysis.
On the other hand, you should still seek professional help if the borderline personality disorder test indicates that you most likely don’t have the disorder. Not only would they be able to definitively eliminate the possibility of a diagnosis, if that’s the case, but they can still help you work through the mental health issues that are causing BPD-like symptoms.
BPD self-assessment
This is a 12-question borderline personality disorder self-assessment to help determine if you’re living with the symptoms of BPD. These are yes or no questions, but a mental health professional can help you dive into the severity of your “yes” answers to better establish the basis for a proper diagnosis.
- Do you experience constant feelings of emptiness and boredom?
- Do your personal relationships feel volatile and intense?
- Do your emotions change very quickly without provocation?
- Do you experience intense negative emotions, such as anxiety, sadness and anger?
- Is your anger prevalent during inappropriate times and difficult to control?
- Have you engaged in self-harm behavior or made suicidal threats in the past while upset?
- Do you engage in reckless behavior, including unsafe sex, gambling, irresponsible spending or substance use?
- Do you dissociate from yourself or feel paranoid during times of stress?
- Do you have a fluctuating self-image, or struggle to determine what you believe in?
- Are you often suspicious of others and their intent to harm you?
- Do you put in a nearly frantic effort with those closest to you out of fear of abandonment?
- Do you often feel an intense connection with someone when you first meet them, but become suspicious of their intentions later on?
Lightfully Behavioral Health can help after you take a borderline personality disorder test
A borderline personality disorder test can help determine if you need further assistance with a possible mental health diagnosis. If you’re struggling after a formal BPD diagnosis from a mental health professional, we’re here to help.
Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step to help your borderline personality disorder, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.
