I am diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. At what point should I check myself into a mental health facility?

Doctor's Answers 1

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the way a person thinks and feels about oneself and others. The problems that the individual faces include:

  • self-image issues
  • difficulty managing emotions and behavior,
  • a pattern of unstable relationships.

Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Many persons with borderline personality disorder report having an intense fear of abandonment or instability, and having difficulty tolerating being alone.

Yet inappropriate anger, impulsiveness, and frequent mood swings may push others away, even though the individual wants to have loving and lasting relationships.

How does Borderline Personality Disorder progress?

Borderline personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age.

When Should You Stay in a Mental Health Facility?

Common reasons for staying in a mental health facility would fall into the three main categories:

  1. When they have self-harm issues or become suicidal.
  2. When they have psychotic episodes that causes them to lose touch with reality, hear voices that are not there, or see things that are not there. The psychotic episodes are typically brief in individuals with borderline personality disorder.
  3. When the individual becomes severely depressed.

If you or your loved one is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, read this guide on factors to consider when seeing a psychiatrist in Singapore.

Similar Questions

Can insomnia be permanently cured, or is it a persistent disorder?

What is insomnia? Insomnia is characterised by difficulties initiating, sustaining, or obtaining qualitatively satisfying sleep despite adequate sleep opportunities and circumstances, resulting in impaired daytime functioning. Intermittent or acute insomnia is of short duration and often linked to specific events - for instance, not being able to fall asleep the night before an exam or an important job interview.

Photo of Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Answered By

Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Psychiatrist

What are the warning signs of borderline personality disorder (BPD)?

What is borderline personality disorder? Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterised by: marked instability in functioning, affect, mood, interpersonal relationships, and, at times, reality testing. BPD is associated with significant morbidity due to common comorbid conditions, including: dysthymia (long-standing, low-grade depression), major depression, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders. Approximately 70-75% of patients with BPD have a history of at least one deliberate act of self-harm, and the mean estimated rate of completed suicides is 9%.

Photo of Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Answered By

Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Psychiatrist

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox