BPD Identity Disturbance

 

So here we at Thursday so it is time for a post about Borderline Personality Disorder. This week we are looking at identity disturbance. This isn’t just something that effects those with BPD.

 

Identity disturbance in borderline personality disorder is characterized by a painful sense of incoherence, objective inconsistencies in beliefs and behaviours, overidentification with groups or roles, and, to a lesser extent, difficulties with commitment to jobs, values, and goals.

 

Our core sense of self refers to our personality, preferences, self-image, and belief system. Ideally, this sense of self guides our morals and helps us live a meaningful life. 

 

But people with BPD lack a core sense of self. Instead, they often feel plagued by the existential question, who am I? This question can disrupt their emotions, relationships, and self-esteem.

 

As a result, people with BPD may seemingly change their identity on a whim. For example, they might dye their hair a different colour each week or spontaneously get tattoos without considering the permanence.

 

Their personalities may shift as seamlessly as the weather, and these changes can be confusing for the people around them. 

 

They can also be highly impressionable. For example, after spending time with a new friend, they might go out and buy an entire wardrobe that replicates that person. They may embrace all their hobbies and preferences- as if they were their original interests, too.

 

In a more extreme form, this identity disturbance may resemble symptoms of dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder). It can seem as if they slip in and out of entirely different personalities, embracing different personas depending on the circumstances.