What is Emotional Switching with Borderline Personality Disorder?

This video answers question: What is emotional switching with borderline personality disorder? When we talk about the term emotional switching with borderline personality disorder we're talking about changing emotional states from positive to negative or from negative to positive. We would refer to changing within a type of emotional state (like negative to negative or positive positive) as simply emotional changing. Borderline personality disorder is a Cluster B personality disorder (dramatic, emotional, and erratic cluster). It's in the same cluster as antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders. There are nine symptom criteria for borderline personality (only five have to be met for diagnosis) including frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, unstable and intense relationships, identity disturbance, impulsivity, suicidal behavior, affective instability, chronic feelings of emptiness, inappropriate intense anger or a difficulty controlling anger, and paranoid ideation. We can see how a number of these symptom criteria could be connected to this concept of emotional switching. Again, changing emotions within the same polarity is not emotional switching. I'll just refer to this as emotional changing and the most common emotional changes that have been observed in the research are anxiety - sadness sadness - anxiety and anxiety – anger. All of these changes are within the negative polarity, so they're all moving from one negative emotional state to another negative emotional state. The probability that somebody would go from negative to positive or positive and negative in terms of emotional state is referred to as switching propensity. The size of the change is referred to as switching distance. Research has shown that emotional propensity is the same for those with BPD and those without it, but emotional distance is greater for those with BPD.

[seekingthemiddleway]

It's this trait which makes partners of people with BPD leave. Sudden explosions of rage over nothing in the middle of a perfectly normal conversation.

[Dawnseeker]

Voted for you in the health & wellness category for this year's "Streamy" awards. Thanks again!

[Dizzydollie]

My husband has Borderline, I sent him this video so he may understand what I mean by “your switch flipped.” Thanks for all your videos

[RaysDad]

I think this study is absolutely correct. Switching abruptly from positive to negative, especially when the switching includes intense anger and/or violence, is what differentiates BPD from other disorders, in my opinion. I've never witnessed a diagnosed BPD person abruptly switch from negative to positive. This could indicate that the cause of BPD switching is not mood instability, but rather it is barely controlled chronic anger that can erupt at the slightest provocation.

[janicedixon]

I never heard of emotional switching until this video.

[Cyclepathic]

I very much appreciate these videos. I have BPD, diagnosed as a child, and don't have access to appropriate treatment, and general therapists aren't equipped for things like this. I've never really been told much at all about BPD and this is very much helping and opening my eyes up to how my mind may work. Thank you!

[Seemashe]

I have BPD and aspergers traits ... I have only been diagnosed few months ago with my BPD. My levels of empathy were much higher when I was younger. I am in my early 40s now and as I went through life with its so many disappointments and hurts, I found that my affective empathy has reduced dramatically. My cognitive empathy is not affected however the ability to feel and sympathize is greatly reduced. I might add that in some situations I will have some affective empathy but in others I would not really have any. I am trying to see if there is any pattern in these situations. I know for a fact that this reduced empathy had become as a defensive mechanism so I am no longer getting hurt or disappointed from previous relationships or work situations. The lack of empathy is either with people I know or not know .

[virginiamurrey]

I am unfamiliar with this term in relation to Borderline Personality Disorder. Watching this video has introduced me to new information!

[michaelureadi]

Great talk...Your videos give me further insight to my BPD...
Thanks

[chantelles]

Thank you for your video. It just helped me in a very DARK family situation ❤️

[emmalauritzson]

Excellent video! Would really love it if you did a video on borderline and the feeling of emptiness too!

[abigailj.offenburger]

Fascinating! I have definitely experienced this w an X. I seem to attract these types as my Mother/Brother are in the same personality disorder cluster. I wish to stop attracting these types of people and do not know how. Thanks for your work!
Identification is helpful. 💙

[kelly]

This was very interesting to learn, I was not aware that this was something done.

[johnharrisjr]

It was interesting that the borderline personality disorder control group showed switching distance only when there was emotional switching .

[homebrandrules]

fascinating Dr Todd, I think I, m fairly knowledgeable about bpd, but this term was new to me
I N V A L U A B L E

[wandamixon]

This video provides clarity with explanation of the differences between emotional changing v switching, the general negative affect associated with switching, and the factors of propensity v distance.

[wordsbykatarina]

My anger is towards myself and internal instead of blowing up
But every other single symptom I have especially the emptiness and lack of identity

Anyone else?

[darelljap]

You're explanation is really simililar like my emotional nemesis

[BeckyBandJesus]

My mother becomes a child, positive, negative.. to singing to stomping and abandons me. But she is unloving as well... sometimes she may rub my feet and say how much she loves me. Yet is never there for me. I suspect borderline and have for a while and narcissism. Unsure how she got it. I’m hurting and developed codependency where I depend on her for emotional fulfilment, food, clothing and transport. She childifies me with stuffed animals too.

[livylu]

I honestly think the only reason there are more women borderline diagnosis is is because men are categorize more as narcissistic. Men hide their emotions more. People on the outside looking in would just think my husband and narcissist. They don’t see him for who he really is when he lets his guard down. I thought that he was a narcissist at first, but while he fit so many of the criteria, there was just so much that didn’t fit him. One of the big ones was cheating, and the ability to overcome morals if it benefits them.
I’m not an expert, but I’ve done so much research in the past three years trying to figure out and fix what was happening in my marriage.
Pride is a big thing for them to overcome, which in turn hurts the marriage because they won’t let their guard down and that causes them to look un-empathetic