What are the most Common Emotional Instability Symptoms?

Emotional instability disorder, otherwise known as borderline personality disorder, is a relatively rare condition that tends to be more prevalent in women than men. There are several different emotional instability symptoms, many of which will adversely affect the patient’s interpersonal relationships.

What are the most common emotional instability symptoms?

Whilst the condition is not very common, borderline personality disorder is classed as a serious mental health problem due to the high incidence of self harming and suicidal tendencies. Most people suffering from emotional instability disorder suffer from very low self esteem, which has a knock on effect on all areas of life and many sufferers are prone to bouts of extreme depression and a chronic sense of emptiness. If left untreated, the patient can begin to withdraw from the world and give in to their internal pain, distress and emotional numbness.

Patients suffering from borderline personality disorder are subject to mercurial mood swings, often for no apparent reason. Such changeable mood patterns can play havoc with close personal relationships, which makes living with a person suffering from emotional instability disorder very challenging.

A fear of abandonment is another common symptom of emotional instability disorder. This particular symptom is often related to the underlying cause of the disorder: a traumatic childhood characterized by parental neglect, abuse, and rejection. Abandonment issues in adulthood lead to very intense and emotional relationships where the sufferer is often insecure and likely to cling on to dysfunctional relationships with people who treat them badly.

Many patients suffering from borderline personality disorder exhibit destructive behavioral traits. These can take on many different forms and include the likes of alcohol and drug abuse, gambling and compulsive shopping addictions, to the development of eating disorders and inappropriate or high risk sexual behavior.

Alcohol and drug abuse often occur as a direct result of the other symptoms of borderline personality disorder. Frequent bouts of depression and a sense of emptiness can cause the patient to seek solace in alcohol and drugs as a way of numbing the intense pain. Unfortunately this is never the answer and self medicating only serves to exacerbate interpersonal relationship problems and underlying emotional issues.

Borderline personality disorder patients are often very impulsive and likely to make rash decisions without thinking their actions through. This type of behavior pattern can include embarking on or ending relationships very quickly, or even rushing from one job to another.

In chronic cases of emotional instability disorder, patients can become delusional and suffer from paranoia, psychotic episodes and hallucinations. These can include paranoid delusions about the people around them, hearing voices in their head, and an extreme sense of disconnection from the world.

What is the treatment for emotional instability disorder?

Once the condition has been diagnosed by a trained mental health professional, the patient will undergo a course of treatment involving cognitive therapy and prescription medication. With the correct treatment, at least half of all patients will make a full recovery and show no recurrence of symptoms for four years or more. However, regular assessments are essential.