Cycle 3 - Smarter Than BPD - Main Text Quiz

Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often experience undesirable life events in a patterned and predictable way, typically involving instances of being overly emotional or dramatic. Understanding the brain systems activated during a "de-regulated" moment when emotions are over-activated can empower individuals to better regulate and manage themselves. This biological awareness can help shed layers of guilt and shame associated with experiencing a disorder and encourage individuals to focus on learning, emotional healing, and self-mastery.

The chain reaction in the brain when feeling threatened and experiencing a fight, flight, freeze response is depicted in a flowchart. This same biological process happens to individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Past trauma experiences can be highly relevant to individuals struggling with BPD, resulting in a re-experiencing of old emotional injury repeatedly. The problem with untreated BPD is that there is no awareness of what is happening in the mind and body during these moments, making it difficult to work through the struggle effectively and live life without feeling threatened.

Individuals with BPD often experience their mind as "scattered or racing," with many irrational thoughts and assumptions about hurtful things they believe are happening or will happen. This thinking becomes a heavy emotional task and results in a "vicious circle" of anticipation, perception, and reaction, potentially including both re-experiencing old trauma and creating new emotional injury repeatedly.

When the fight, flight, freeze system is not halted, individuals with BPD can seem extreme in their reactions, regularly suffering from much physical, cognitive, and emotional stress. Understanding that individuals with BPD did not ask for things to be problematic in life is crucial to developing a willingness to continue moving forward with learning about BPD.

Many individuals with BPD are born with amplified emotional sensitivity and require specific training and understanding to balance and thrive in their body and the world. Mastering BPD is compared to learning how to surf a giant ocean wave, requiring specific understandings and skills. Having a willingness and strong desire to continue re-learning how to live in the body is essential to mastering BPD and living a different life.