Positives of BPD
(Borderline personality disorder/emotional regulation disorder).
I made a post like this a while ago when I first started to use tumblr. It was pretty brief and choppily written (in my opinion) so as I’ve said, I decided to remake this with more explanation/research included for more understanding and since lots found it and really liked it. Might as well start 2015 off focusing on these positives.
This is important for awareness/understanding and for those of you who have it, as it really helped me overcome feelings of guilt towards having BPD/ERD and the horrible stigma. It helped me gain self-acceptance. That is why I decided to share it here.
Emotional Regulation Disorder (BPD) is a chronic mental disorder of emotional hypersensitivity and dysregulation.
In BPD, neurobiological emotion and systematic reactions fire off rapidly, longer, easily, and with more intensity as they are hypersensitivity and do not regulate, balance out, or process well and the same as others.
This results in its many symptoms in such behavior, moods, reactions, identity, perception, dissociation, thought patterns, etc.
(The fight/flight system is easily triggered, while the system responsible to regulate that is underactive. There are brain structural differences that are responsible for emotions, decisions, behavior, learning, instincts thoughts, perception, stimuli, relations, etc. Additionally, emotions have been shown to fire off longer and hormones, chemicals, transmitters, all play its part in the hypersensitivity and dysregulation. And so on).
It then causes a wide range of symptoms (depressive, dissociative, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions, anger, aggression, suicidal ideations, extreme reactions to real or perceived rejection, abandonment and criticism, etc.) as there are hundreds of ways to recognize ERD/BPD reactions, symptoms, and features.
As the condition influences ‘all’ emotional reactions and functioning, and there is such a wide range of symptoms, it is often described as a version of multiple mental disorders combined. (borderline of multiple conditions)
However, these neurobiological reactions mean the hypersensitivity can affect positive reactions as well.
-For those of you who read this and suddenly think that you have a chronic condition because it says something positive and you say you have them all, stop. It is incredibly disrespect to those of us that have it. You can’t just tell you have it from being able to relate to a post because it says something positive. Posts aren’t some checklist.
Some of the main symptoms of BPD may generate some positive responses or features.
Specifically, with research, analysis, and observations, some hallmark features may be:
-Passionate: As the level of psychological reactions highly differ in those with BPD compared to those without, individuals with the condition experience a higher extremity scale and baseline. For instance, this includes: Depression instead of sadness, humiliation instead of embarrassment, panic instead of nervousness, rage instead of anger, and euphoria instead of happiness, to name a few. Individuals with BPD have been observed to be especially very passionate and reactive as they often react and express this passion and euphoria.
-Lively: Intense reactions may also result in high euphoria and engaging/active behavior and energy.
-Insightful: Studies on BPD indicated that because of their own hypersensitivity and pain, some people with BPD may easily connect to what is around them. For instance, they were able to easily read facial expressions, behavior, and emotions of those around them in an expression test. People with BPD may take experiences like these and emotions and turn it into insight and understanding, for one example.
-Curious: Observations and studies show unusually high curiosity is common in some people with BPD from the hypersensitivity and connectivity with their emotions, senses, and surroundings.
-High awareness: As a result of being hypersensitive and easily connected to surroundings and outside stimuli, some people with BPD have been observed have high awareness.
Such strong emotions and connections may call for or reinforce high awareness.
For other examples, Marsha Linehan also states they may have higher levels of spiritual experiences more often. Furthermore, people with BPD have been observed to have a high level of comfort, security, and connection to nature and animals, such as pets, as stated by the DSM.
-Compassionate/empathetic: As a result of their own hypersensitivity and pain, many with BPD may portray a high level of empathy and understanding to others.
-Dependent: Dependency is a hallmark symptom of BPD. One main reason for this is the extremity of the hypersensitive emotions, which often generate a huge fear of being alone and abandonment and rejection. Identity symptoms, such as a lack of sense of self, may also result in dependency. Yet, dependency can be a good thing with the proper balance, like for support, closeness, affection, and interconnectivity.
-Protective: This reaction may be common as a result of the intensity and care someone with BPD feels towards a situation or person. It also relates to the high aggression noted in BPD symptoms. Aggression isn’t always a bad thing- aggression can mean protective of someone or the self.
-Loving/appreciative: Idealization is a main symptom of BPD. Some people with BPD may idealize and glorify another individual in their life because of such strong emotions, reactions, and needs, and they may also be very appreciative because of hypersensitivity and painful experiences.
-Loyal: Idealization, dependency, hypersensitivity, etc- such reactions and features may prompt strong loyalty and devotion.
-Creative: The intensity and hypersensitive highs and lows may generate creativity and expression. An unusually high amount of writers have BPD. High levels of creativity were linked to some individuals with BPD in research cases- new ideas, artistic or musical ability, writing, or other areas of creativity. Fantasizing is a common feature in BPD as well as daydreaming.
-High nociception (pain tolerance): Studies indicate alterations between pain processing in over half of those with BPD, as opposed to individuals without. It has shown an alteration in acute pain processing- they have a higher tolerance for such. Individuals with BPD were far more likely to tolerate it, despite being hypersensitive psychologically. The result of this comes from different systematic responses and antinociception and may be a result of long-term self harm behavior in some cases.
-Discipline: Obsessive compulsive features are on a spectrum amongst many disorders, and some are quite common in BPD. This includes intrusive thoughts in the thought pattern/processes, repetitive behavior as a result of anxiety and distress, and perfectionism, to name a few.
Research observes that with the proper balance and use, people with BPD may also display high levels of self-discipline, work orientation, and drive connected to these features of perfectionism, repetition, etc.
-Sarcastic/funny: The DSM and other observations state some people with BPD may often express sarcasm and humor.
-Bold: One of the main symptoms of BPD is impulsiveness; however, research states this may be tied to a positive trait in some individuals with BPD- boldness, bravery, and ability to speak their mind.
-Spontaneous: Living free, acting on the moment, open minded, adventurousness, which is all related to the connections, reactions, and impulsiveness.
-Alluring/Interesting: Such extreme reactions and expressions are shown or felt to others. Because of the intensity, many people note the interesting and/or alluring behavior or energy of someone with BPD in observation.
There are books and other psych writings noting individuals with BPD as “sirens”- Interesting and intense, yet, impulsive, aggressive, and hypersensitive.
Other studies have stated foundings of “physical attractiveness” patterns-however, not entirely realistic, hormonal differences found amongst BPD individuals may relate.
-Individualistic: BPD is a complex disorder that has hundreds of symptoms and features. There is a lot of depth, changeability, intensity, and reactions.
Furthermore, some features may allow one to cultivate such individuality.
-Strong: On a psychological level, people with BPD are often described as feeling the some of the most intense, agonizing reactions, and one needs to be quite strong to handle them.
-Intense: Overall, people with BPD are intense and hypersensitive individuals. The listed^ features may be noted with intensity. BPD is also called, “Emotional Intensity Disorder.”
Marsha Linehan states, “Although it is likely that emotion dysregulation is most pronounced in negative emotions, borderline individuals also seem to have difficulty regulating positive emotions and their sequelae.”
