How To Get Through Borderline Personality Disorder Rage
People who have borderline personality disorder (BPD) may exhibit a range of intense emotions, including extreme anger. Commonly referred to as BPD rage, this powerful reaction can be a source of considerable distress, both to the person who has the condition and to those who care about them.
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What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?
To put BPD rage into appropriate context, we should first take a few moments to review what borderline personality disorder is, and how it can undermine a person’s efforts to live a productive and satisfying life.
Signs & Symptoms of BPD
In general, borderline personality disorder is characterized by impulsivity and instability in a person’s self-image, relationships, and reactions.
To be accurately diagnosed with BPD, a person must exhibit or experience five or more of the following nine symptoms:
- Making frantic efforts to stop someone from abandoning them, even in the absence of any credible reason to believe such an abandonment is imminent
- Having a history of intense but brief relationships, during which they alternate between idealizing and devaluing their partner
- Struggling with substantial shifts in self-image and sense of self
- Acting impulsively in at least two potentially harmful areas, such as driving, substance use, gambling, sex, or binge eating
- Engaging in self-harm or making suicidal threats, gestures, or attempts
- Going through periods of intense episodic dysphoria, which can involve dramatic swings in mood and attitude
- Persistently feeling empty or unfulfilled
- Poor anger control, which can include frequent verbal outbursts and a propensity for physical violence
- Responding to stress with periods of paranoia or dissociation
If you have been experiencing these types of symptoms, you should consult with your primary physician or another qualified healthcare provider. Completing a thorough evaluation and receiving a correct diagnosis can be important steps on the path toward treatment and improved health.
Effects of Untreated BPD
The symptoms listed above can disrupt virtually every part of a person’s life. Over time, the negative impact of untreated borderline personality disorder can include:
- Difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy friendships and romantic relationships
- Frequent conflicts with family members, friends, and colleagues
- Isolation and lack of effective interpersonal support
- Physical injuries and/or legal problems due to impulsivity and BPD rage
- Substandard performance in school or at work
- Difficulty finding and keeping a job
- Financial problems
- Substance abuse and addiction
- Low self-esteem, to the point of self-hatred
- Elevated risk of suicide
The link between BPD and suicide should not be ignored.
Experts estimate that about 3%-10% of people with borderline personality disorder will die by suicide. This is substantially higher than the suicide rate among the general public in the U.S., which was 0.014% in 2021.
If you believe that you or someone that you care about is at imminent risk of suicide, get help immediately. In the United States, you can:
- Call 911to summon emergency first responders
- Call or text 988 to access the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and speak with a trained professional
How To Get Through BPD Rage
When instability, impulsivity, and mood swings combine to cause BPD rage, the outcome can be devastating. Thankfully, there are ways to minimize the danger, both before an outburst occurs and as you feel yourself losing control.
Understand Your Triggers
Triggers are events or circumstances that can prompt the onset of a BPD rage episode. When you understand when or why you are most likely to have an outburst, you can work on either avoiding these situations or learning how to respond in a healthier manner.
Potential BPD rage triggers can include:
- Sensing that you are about to be rejected or abandoned
- Reminders of traumatic events from your past
- Being criticized
- Experiencing elevated stress
- Having a setback or failure
Coping Strategies
Many of the triggers listed above are virtually impossible to avoid completely. However, this doesn’t mean that you’re helpless to prevent a dangerous mood swing. Here are a few coping or self-soothing strategies that can help:
- Contact someone you trust. Sometimes, a quick phone call or even a text exchange with a person who cares about you can provide you with the perspective you need to regain control of your emotions.
- Write in your journal. Similar to talking about your challenge with a friend, writing about it forces you to step back from your situation and describe it from a slight distance. This can help you evaluate your options without immediately reacting in a self-defeating manner.
- Focus on your breath. Inhale slowly through your nose. Pay close attention to how your body feels as your lungs fill with air. Slowly exhale, again focusing on the physical sensations you feel. Repeat this several times until you start to feel calmer and back in control.
- Move your body. Go for a walk. Practice yoga. Ride your bike. When you find a low-impact physical activity that you enjoy, it can be a great way to ease stress and help you regain a positive mindset.
Self-soothing techniques can be beneficial when you’re on the precipice of BPD rage. But it’s important to remember that these outbursts of anger are symptoms, not disorders.
To address the underlying cause of your anger-management concerns, professional care at a borderline personality disorder treatment center may be the ideal step. When you get proper care from a reputable treatment provider, you can learn to manage your symptoms and exert greater control over your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Learn More About BPD Treatment in Atlanta
New View Wellness offers personalized outpatient care for adults and adolescents who have been living with borderline personality disorder and other complex mental health challenges.
At our BPD treatment center in Atlanta, Georgia, you can receive age-appropriate services at the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient levels. In each of these programs, you will have the opportunity to work with a team of experienced professionals in a safe and highly supportive environment.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
