Learn About the 4 Types of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

How To Easily Identify the 4 Types of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): discouraged borderline, self-destructive borderline, impulsive borderline and petulant borderline. To spot the four types of borderline personality disorder (or BPD), it is important to look at the symptoms, causes and signs of these types to better understand how it is classified. Someone may have or suffer with BPD but not identify completely with these types of borderline personality disorder, that isn't to say you do not have BPD. These are just 4 common types of BPD that have been studied. What about you? Have you been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder? Do you identify with any of these signs or types of BPD? Let the community know in the comments.

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[Katimorton]

What about you? Have you been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder? Do you identify with any of these signs or types of BPD?

[julissaparra]

BPD consumed my life, friendships, relationships, and mental health for years. One day I decided to click on a BPD video you made and since then, I have understood my triggers, my longing, and have started therapy for my quiet borderline personality disorder. It’s a challenge but thank you so much for sharing these videos to help bring more awareness and understanding and less stigma to the disorder.

[yashwayri]

as a person with bpd, i feel like the disorder in itself is a mix of the four. to me it seems like you can't really separate them, and that each person with bpd has them in varying degrees. all symptoms are linked albeit present in varying proportions

[epiclexi]

as someone with BPD I agree with what you said at the end of the video, they definitely do not need to be broken up, it is all one BPD.

[fallonredding]

As someone diagnosed with BPD I really appreciate that you talk about the diagnosis with such care and consideration and without judgment it really helps considering most people believe a lot of the negative stigma surrounding BPD. Idk I guess it just makes me feel a little more normal

[trinomial-nomenclature]

Type 1 described me in every sense, with a little of type 4. I am diagnosed with BPD.

I wasn't aware of the "4 types" either, but I was never, and even more so as I've gotten older, impulsive, I'm one of those people that do months of research for a new vacuum. It does help to show that you can be more like one type than another, but like you said BPD is a diagnosis in of itself, no matter what "type" you are.

[aloracline]

I am clinically diagnosed with BPD I’ve experienced every single symptom you’ve described. I think each person with Bpd may feel each trait more often or more intensely than others, but these traits are what make up the disorder.

[rebeccablakey]

As an adult I think back to what my mother behaved like and the kinds of things that she would say. She was either extremely loving or extremely hurtful towards people that she knew. Now as she has aged she had opted to live alone( even to the point of not answering her front door or a phone call) . I recognize many of the traits that you described in the 4 types of BPD and agree that they could be considered one type. Sadly I don't have a relationship with my mother and she doesn't see her grandchildren by her own choicing.This mental health condition definitely takes away from her quality of life and her wellbeing.

[leg]

My BPD is severe due to having all 9 traits and having frequent psychotic episodes. Anyone here with BPD please research how your brain functions with this illness. I have found this route incredibly helpful. It's such a complex illness and we're all different. Once you have a trigger and you react, you can literally imagine the signals in your brain. This is the point where you can make the necessary adjustments in your mind. We can't stop the thought, but we can adjust the reaction.

[joymechell]

I’ve been in therapy for nearly five years now and a couple of Psych wards with “professionals” and I have never been taught there are 4 types of BPD 😩

This came as a shock to me but I definitely fall into the “‘petulant” type and I took the biggest sigh of relief when I heard my exact sympathy. It’s sucks having mood swings and being mean to people when I don’t want to and the constant back and forth emotionally but it feels good to know that there’s a name for it . That’s all I wanted to know

[ZepviK]

Without your videos I would’ve never known what I was dealing with. I appreciate everything you do and I will always support you. 👍🏻

[mayhelen]

And with this I learned that I am most likely the Petulant type. Yay? 😅 I was diagnosed with BPD in 2018 after years of battles with my own mental health. I had never heard of BPD prior to my therapist bringing it to my attention, and I remember going home after that appointment searching and reading up on it online and I ended up just crying. It was like my whole life clicked into place and I am so thankful for my incredible kind and competent therapist who made me feel seen, heard and understood.

I also have ADHD, chronic depression and anxiety disorder on the side. With that said, I feel like having ADHD alongside with BPD is a gift, because weirdly they sometimes, and more often than not, cancel each other out. When my BPD is acting up and is really bad, my ADHD can come in and wipe it all away. In stead of splitting or lashing out, I forget all about it and paint my whole living room in the middle of the night in stead. ADHD makes me forget my thoughts and I am fleeting from one moment to the next, and it helps me not get so stuck in one emotion or one "bad spot" for too long at a time. I consider ADHD a gift in all of it. Which is also why I chose not to ever be medicated for ADHD even though its a pain in the butt to deal with.

I have never had any treatment for my BPD. I was 28 years old when I was diagnosed and by that time I had for the most part figured out ways to work around it and make my life the best it could be; despite it. Getting the diagnosis was the final step to understanding what was going on, and giving me the answers to what I was fighting all these years. I have always had good self awareness. I do and have done a lot of harm over the years, to myself and the people around me, but I have never let it get the better of me. I have always pulled back, gathered myself and analyzed what happened, what I did, why I reacted, why they reacted and so on. I am thankful to be me, as I am, in the midst of the diagnosis I have.

[Jantonov]

Years ago my psychiatrist told me I was a narcissist and couldn't be helped with therapy or medication. It sent me on a truly horrible spiral down that lasted years. Years later I learned I had CPSD and what i would guess is some of of the petulant characteristics. Truth is I thought my psychiatrist was a fool and I guess I didn't hide it all that well. So to him I looked narcissistic. I sure wish there was a way for doctor's to diagnose mental illness in an unbiased way. There is no bias when a doctor tells you that you have a broken leg.

[Vigil_Aunty]

I’m 52 and have been in therapy since 7 on and off but FULLY in therapy for longer periods throughout my life thus far dealing with these certain aspects. I am now in therapy to heal my childhood traumas. I can say that I have had ALL of these at some point in my life and although now, I am able to self regulate “better”, I still can fall into any of these at any time. Not so much the self harm anymore but the rest yes. It is less often now, and I am able to recognize when I am doing it, making it possible to change the behavior before it is out of hand but I can also be really reactive still at times and not see it until afterwards. It is a life long task to maintain and continue in my therapy to see these things and try to be better for myself and those I love and those around me ( coworkers, employer etc). It has taken me years to get here ( just speaking of my own experience) and I am grateful for my therapist and my ability to now SEE. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination or even completely ok. Better, and getting better everyday as long as I remain proactive in my healing process. BPD is not an easy thing to live with but it IS doable without the craziness of how out of control everything can seem/be. I wish nothing but the absolute best and for healing for those dealing with BPD. We are not alone, and we CAN lead successful, loving, meaningful lives. ❤️

[mystrose]

I've been diagnosed with BPD and I can relate to all 4 types. I just finished a 2 month intensive therapy day program. They taught DBT and CBT and It was a very positive experience for me. I walked away with a better understanding of myself and how to better manage my symptoms. Still need a lot of therapy, but we're getting there :) Thank you for this video!

[KyleAlexander]

I immediately sat up when you mentioned 4 types of BPD. Having both been diagnosed and written about BPD for years, I was intrigued by how an already complex illness could be further broken down into 4 parts. I 100% agree with you that all of these parts fall on the overall outcome and behaviours of a BPD diagnosis. I have struggled with many from columns A and B with BPD, sure there are absolutely some core elements to the illness itself, but being such a complex one it simply can't be summarised so easily. It bends to the idea that people with BPD are further stigmatized, I mean the category "Petulant" says it all. Great job on your videos keeping them balanced and well informed, thanks, Kati :)

[gabriellelaurence]

I am diagnosed with BPD and I have traits from all categories so I would agree that it shouldn’t be split up into 4. Some traits are more profound in one category or another, but I still experience from every single one

[Rowiiexx]

I honestly have traits from all of these, but mostly petulant and definitely not wanting to let people in so they don’t hurt me but then feeling depressed when I feel alone. And the self destructive behaviour…It doesn’t seem possible for me to main healthy relationships, I seem to sabotage them all the time whether I realise it or not and it makes me so upset and feel like such a burden to others but at least it’s a relief to know that maybe it’s not just me that does this and try and be a bit kinder to myself

[caramiajen]

I am 52 and was only diagnosed 3 years ago with BPD... I have never had such clarity on why my life is the way it is and why I do what I do as when I found out about BPD... in regards to the person saying that there are four different types I feel like I'm type 2, 3 and 4 and I might have a little bit of one but thinking of other people in my groups and in my social circles that have BPD. I think all of us feel that each one of those things resonates in a certain way... I absolutely love listening to you. it's always insightful and there's always something I learn and for that I appreciate you and thank you

[ingridrice]

I agree with you that BPD doesn't need to be broken down into four types, if anything the 'types' are symptoms and most people with a diagnosis would display most of them. I havent been diagnosed myself, only with depression, but I match every one of these types, only my impulsiveness didn't manifest as being outgoing, only risky behaviours usually as a result of the intense emotions, splitting or as a distraction. (I know I've got BPD but don't feel going through the diagnosis process will help but i don't proclaim to have it without the diagnosis IRL).

I think maybe what symptoms you display most may depend on what the initial trauma that triggered BPD was and what your coping mechanisms are (some people might be codependent, others misuse substances).