What Triggers Mood swings in Borderline Personality

Today’s video answers the question: what triggers the mood swings that you can see and borderline personality disorder?

One of the features of borderline personality disorder that make it look like bipolar disorder is having wide mood swings. I compared borderline personality disorder to bipolar disorder in this video.

But this gist of it is, with borderline personality disorder, you get quick shifts in mood that can last hours or even a day. Whereas with bipolar disorder, you get shifts in mood states that last for a minimum of four days for hypomania and two weeks for depression.

With borderline personality disorder, the shifts in personality are triggered by something, it just may not obvious what the trigger is at the time.
Here are some of things that can trigger your mood shifts:
Relationship problems
Feeling empty
Dissociative symptoms
Memories of trauma

Therapy is something that can help you make these connections so that you don't have to be as overwhelmed by the emotions that seem like they're coming out of nowhere. If you start by understanding that the intense emotions come from somewhere, then you can learn to accept the emotions, process them and let them pass without them overwhelming you. In dialectical behavior therapy you learn to do this with lessons on distress tolerance and emotion regulation.

There are a lot of strategies that are taught in dialectical behavior therapy. Take a look at this video I did on managing negative emotions. Thanks for watching. See you next time.

VIDEOS REFERENCED TO WATCH NEXT
Managing Negative emotions

Borderline vs Borderline Personality Disorder

Can You Have Bipolar Disorder + Borderline Personality? |Here’s Why It Matters

Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[vickythecat]

I hate how one word, one scent, one noise, one second of any memory can bring me back to that rollercoaster. It is so tiring, so exhausting. I wish people had more understanding of the horrific effect of constant mood swings and how easily they can triggered. I don't have a life - no friends, no relationships, no intimacy, no job (also due to physical disability), no hobbies outside of home, no social media - because I'm constantly afraid of triggering a bad emotion. If it weren't for animals, I don't see the point of living like this.

[dreamingofnaomi]

Rage is definitely one of the symptoms that are so unpleasant about suffering from BPD. I'm angry and irritable all the time. And rage episodes seem to be triggered by the smallest things. It's painful for those around me and painful for me to be that person losing control on others.

[Tiredbutmighty]

When I feel empty, it is literally like a deep bottomless pit. Its genuinely the most emotionally painful thing I deal with

[sgillman]

This disorder ruined every relation in my teenage years and early 20s

[alf]

I have borderline traits and from years of therapy and getting older with more life experience I have been a lot better. To anyone suffering just know that it can & does get better. The mind can be so powerful and when you start healing you realize the lies that your mind has been feeding you all along.

[aksbs]

2:00 the really painfull things is when your paranoia end up being true :) and realize you really got no one

[NeighborhoodFatty]

Here I am crying now because this is me and this isn’t what I wanted

[potterlover]

Disappointment is definitely one of my biggest triggers, mainly linked with the rejection sensitivity. If I've made plans with someone and they've had to cancel for very legitimate reasons (illness, emergencies etc) even though I know they didn't have a choice but to cancel, the disappointment really gets to me and I often start spiraling because of it :/

[Lidia.Bella.Italiana]

I tell people it's not out of no where. That all the switches of moods comes from my emotions and that something happens to me for them to change so fast.
No one gets it at all.
It's so difficult being so severely emotionally liable.
I cry a lot, am scared, panic and am angry/hurt a lot.... Since I was a kid and I'm 36 now.

[drinkmorewater]

The lunch example resonated with me so much because it's so easy for me to go from being fine one minute to feeling alone & unloved the next, but I'm glad you pointed out that it's just distorted thinking. I need that reminder sometimes to not believe everything my BPD makes me think.

[bionicle]

As someone who was recently diagnosed with BPD just this year, it's helped me connect the dots. I struggle with EXTREME thought transitions all the time, and i truly needed someone to sit down and explain to me why I think this way. I feel like this explanation really hits home for me, as I'll go from really happy, content and proud-- to all of a sudden ravenous, spiteful and enraged... People tell me it can be controlled when I simply cannot do so. I'll look more into Dialectical Behavior Therapy for my own sake and mental health. Thanks Dr. M!

[katkatkatkat]

Thanks for talking about what people with BPD go through without demonising them. Great explanation.

[eleanorabibby]

Thank you so much for making a video about BPD without resorting to "borderlines are so angry and dangerous - they scream/hurt people/say cruel things/etc!" It's so refreshing for someone in the psychiatric field to see us as people and not monsters.

[Ebthehousesitter]

This has helped so much. My sister has BPD and for the longest time we didnt know what was going on. The mood swings were terrible and made me want to completely detach. Now that we know and she knows, it makes her easier to understand. She tries to manage it now and I am more compassionate of her situation.

[LpsKittyPower]

I wish my family didn't automatically forget i have BPD once I have an episode, I feel trapped in this triggering loop, no support, nothing.

[Tanya-ezvn]

I got diagnosed with Quiet BPD and my psychologist told me that because my BPD is ‘quiet’, I tend to act inwards than act out. It would be a great help if you could make a video about how Quiet BPD differs from other types of BPD. 🖤

[jessiszk]

I unexpectedly got overly emotional and choked up when you were giving the restaurant example. That example was perfect because thats is EXACTLY what I think when stuff like that happens. It’s like, why am I not worthy enough to be able to have a fun time with someone I thought was my friend. Are they embarrassed to be seen with me? Am I just a secret friend that they don’t want anyone else to know about? Why can’t I be invited to anything? And so on...and I get extremely angry and obsess about why the hell am I not worth it but other people are? Where did I go wrong? What’s wrong with me? Am I too ugly to be seen with someone? Why are they ashamed of me? Etc. I have a very hard time not obsessing about those thoughts. So, ya that example about the restaurant reaction was spot on.

[simev]

(2:16) “…imagining everybody else having someone to ask them but one one asking you…”
Yes. Those imperceptible triggers that emerge out of nowhere can be pretty unnerving.
It’s paradoxical that one afflicted with BPD needs others to feel less isolated yet interacting with others bring about unwanted self sabotaging and disorientating thoughts.
Is FOMO an emotional projection accompanying the Abandonment anxiety?

[morgannights]

Whenever I’m talking to people and they yawn, instantly I’m frantically trying to regain their attention before they dub me as boring and leave my life. I hate the instability of being alive

[jinjin]

I value these videos so much. I have BPD and this one just nailed my experiences. I grow and learn with you. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK!