Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is BPD?At-Home TestUnderstanding the Results
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is BPD?
At-Home Test
Understanding the Results
Taking a borderline personality disorder (BPD) test can help you better understand this mental health condition. BPD affects a person’s ability to regulate (control) their emotions.
Other coresymptoms of BPDinclude an unstable self-image, impulsivity (acting or reacting without thinking first), and unstable interpersonal relationships. Suicide is a common concern in people with BPD.
This article includes an online BPD quiz with nine questions. It will help you to understand BPD symptoms andtriggers. If you answer “yes” to a few of these questions, consider speaking to a mental health professional.
Only a trained and qualified mental health professional can diagnose borderline personality disorder, but there are certain questions you can ask yourself if you think that you or a loved one may have this condition.
Catherine McQueen / Getty Images
Nearly 1.5% of adults in the United States have BPD. The majority, about three-fourths of them, are people assigned female at birth.
What Is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
Borderline Personality Disorder Test
Answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions to get a better understanding of borderline personality disorder traits.
The Four Types of Borderline Personality Disorder
1. Do you have persistent fears of being abandoned?
A person with BPD may make frantic efforts to avoid being abandoned, whether this is imagined or real. They may start relationships quickly and also end them quickly so they don’t risk being the one who is left.
How to Tell If You Have Abandonment Issues
2. Do you have a history of unstable and chaotic relationships?
Someone with BPD often shows a pattern of intense and unstable relationships. They may alternate between:
A commonly used defense mechanism in people with BPD involvessplitting. This means they see people and things as either all good or all bad in a black-or-white way with no in-between. There is a psychological defense mechanism that tries to protect someone from an unmanageable feeling of conflict that might emerge in a relationship.
Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
3. Do you often feel like you do not know who you are or what you believe?
An unstable self-image or sense of self is common with BPD. This can affect many areas of a person’s life.Identity disturbancein BPD can cause a person to frequently change their beliefs, behaviors, or values.
This unstable self-image can lead to problems understanding who you are in relation to other people. It can also lead to boundary issues in relationships.
4. Are you impulsive in ways that are potentially self-damaging?
Impulsivity or the tendency to do things without thinking first can cause reckless behavior. Criteria for a diagnosis of BPD include impulsivity in at least two areas that are seen as self-damaging.
Some examples of impulsivity are:
Could It Be Bipolar Disorder?There can be overlap between the symptoms ofbipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. If you recognize the symptoms described here, speak to a mental health professional to help you tease out apotential diagnosis.
Could It Be Bipolar Disorder?
There can be overlap between the symptoms ofbipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. If you recognize the symptoms described here, speak to a mental health professional to help you tease out apotential diagnosis.
5. Have you intentionally hurt yourself or become suicidal?
BPD can result in recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats. It can also result in self-mutilating or non-suicidalself-injury behaviorssuch as:
When to Seek Emergency HelpIf you are having suicidal thoughts, dial988to contact the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineand connect with a trained counselor. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call911.
When to Seek Emergency Help
If you are having suicidal thoughts, dial988to contact the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineand connect with a trained counselor. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call911.
6. Are you highly reactive and prone to rapid and intense mood swings?
BPD can lead to periods of intense mood swings and instability. Moods may change quickly, often, and intensely, generally In response to interpersonal stress. This is called affective instability and may cause a person to experience extreme episodes of:
7. Do you have feelings of emptiness that you cannot shake?
BPD can create a chronic feeling of emptiness inside. This is different from an unstable self-image. It is also separate from feeling hopeless or lonely.
8. Are you prone to rage or unable to control your temper?
Decoding Violent Behavior
Anger Management Therapy: Types, Techniques, and Benefits
9. Do you get paranoid or shut down during stress?
Brief episodes ofparanoid thinkingcan occur in stressful situations, and make a person fear others. Severedissociative symptomscan also happen under stress. Dissociation refers to feeling like you are disconnected from your body, thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
Understanding At-Home BPD Test
If you answer “yes” to a few of the above questions, consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional, particularly if any of these experiences are causing you a lot of distress or interfering with your quality of life.
There are treatment options for BPD that can lessen symptoms and improve your quality of life. In addition, studies show that the overall rate of remission (improvement of symptoms) among people treated for BPD can be high, and symptoms can improve with time.
Summary
Some people may benefit from a simple borderline personality disorder (BPD) test. It asks questions about common BPD symptoms and behavioral traits often seen in people diagnosed with BPD.
Keep in mind, though, that the results of this test donotmean you have BPD. It is possible to be sensitive and have some symptoms of BPD without fully qualifying for a diagnosis.
Only a mental health professional can do a full assessment, either in person or through a video visit, and make an official diagnosis.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kulacaoglu F, Kose S.Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): In the Midst of Vulnerability, Chaos, and Awe.Brain Sci.2018 Nov 18;8(11):201. doi:10.3390/brainsci8110201.American Psychiatric Association.DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for the personality disorders.National Alliance on Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.Miller CE, Townsend ML, Day NJS, Grenyer BFS.Measuring the shadows: A systematic review of chronic emptiness in borderline personality disorder.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0233970. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233970Biskin RS.The lifetime course of borderline personality disorder.Can J Psychiatry. 2015;60(7):303-308. doi:10.1177/070674371506000702
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kulacaoglu F, Kose S.Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): In the Midst of Vulnerability, Chaos, and Awe.Brain Sci.2018 Nov 18;8(11):201. doi:10.3390/brainsci8110201.American Psychiatric Association.DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for the personality disorders.National Alliance on Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.Miller CE, Townsend ML, Day NJS, Grenyer BFS.Measuring the shadows: A systematic review of chronic emptiness in borderline personality disorder.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0233970. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233970Biskin RS.The lifetime course of borderline personality disorder.Can J Psychiatry. 2015;60(7):303-308. doi:10.1177/070674371506000702
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kulacaoglu F, Kose S.Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): In the Midst of Vulnerability, Chaos, and Awe.Brain Sci.2018 Nov 18;8(11):201. doi:10.3390/brainsci8110201.American Psychiatric Association.DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for the personality disorders.National Alliance on Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.Miller CE, Townsend ML, Day NJS, Grenyer BFS.Measuring the shadows: A systematic review of chronic emptiness in borderline personality disorder.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0233970. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233970Biskin RS.The lifetime course of borderline personality disorder.Can J Psychiatry. 2015;60(7):303-308. doi:10.1177/070674371506000702
Kulacaoglu F, Kose S.Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): In the Midst of Vulnerability, Chaos, and Awe.Brain Sci.2018 Nov 18;8(11):201. doi:10.3390/brainsci8110201.
American Psychiatric Association.DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for the personality disorders.
National Alliance on Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.
National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.
Miller CE, Townsend ML, Day NJS, Grenyer BFS.Measuring the shadows: A systematic review of chronic emptiness in borderline personality disorder.PLoS One. 2020;15(7):e0233970. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233970
Biskin RS.The lifetime course of borderline personality disorder.Can J Psychiatry. 2015;60(7):303-308. doi:10.1177/070674371506000702
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