If you have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), you may be experiencing mood swings. Mood swings are the sudden fluctuation of temperament, often from a very positive state to a very negative one.
If you are experiencing mood swings, a common symptom of BPD, there may be times when you feel like you’re on top of the world. There may be other times when nothing seems to be going your way, leading to thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Sometimes mood swings associated with Borderline Personality Disorder are triggered by a stressful external event, or they are more intense reactions to relatively less stressful events. Sometimes these mood swings come without warning and are seemingly triggered by nothing at all.
Impact of Mood Swings Related to BPD
Mood swings can be a nuisance in everyday life, preventing work from getting finished and making it hard to connect with other people. What might surprise you if you are diagnosed with BPD is that your mood swings may actually change the moods of those around you.
For instance, your family, friends, and coworkers may be puzzled as to why you appear happy one minute but despondent the next. They may feel confused as to how to act around certain moods, wonder if they were the cause of your mood swing, or become concerned about how to politely set boundaries with you. They might also worry about you, leading them to be distracted and sad.
Treatment for Mood Swings and BPD
With all of the negative consequences of the mood swings associated with Borderline Personality Disorder, the best thing to do is manage your mood swings as best as possible.
Medication, family therapy, group therapy, and individual therapy all contribute to better management of mood swings. For severe mood swings, hospitalization or time at a residential treatment center for Borderline Personality Disorder might be necessary to prevent any harm done to yourself.
Two specific forms of therapy have proven to be useful in managing moods and the treatment of BPD. The first is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which can help you build skills for better dealing with stress. DBT can also help you keep track of your moods so that you know what to expect in different situations and how to deal with negative feelings when they arise.
The second type of therapy used for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder is Transference-focused Therapy. This type of therapy allows you to explore the relationship you develop with your therapist as a means to understand the relationships you have with other people in your life. If you understand what triggers your mood swings as a result of interpersonal relationships, you can avoid or mitigate them in the future.
The most important thing to remember when treating your symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder is that managing mood swings often involves recognizing behavior patterns and acknowledging that some of these patterns are ineffective in leading a productive life. With the right type of BPD treatment, you can learn to manage your mood swings and have a more satisfying life.