Question

What triggers a person with borderline personality disorder?

Answer 1

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a kind of mental health disorder, which impacts the way we feel and think about ourselves and others, thereby causing problems in day to day life. It encompasses self-image issues, a pattern of unstable relationships and difficulty in managing emotions and behavior. It is characterized by unstable behaviors, relationships and moods.

Complete answer
Trigger refers to some event, which brings out a major exacerbation of BPD symptoms. The event can be internal (happens in the mind) or external (outside of a person).
The following are the symptoms of BPD:
1. Explosive anger
2. Chronic feelings of emptiness
3. Self-harm
4. Extreme emotional swings
5. Self-destructive and impulsive behaviors
6. Unclear self-image
7. Unstable relationships
8. Abandonment fear
Interpersonal relationship is the main factor, which triggers a person with borderline personality disorder. Many people having BPD possess a high sensitivity towards abandonment and get experience of anger, intensive fear, self-harm, impulsivity, and sometimes suicidality in relationship happenings, which make them feel abandoned, criticized and rejected. Interpersonal life events comprise rejection of anything like loss of job and end of the relationship.
Cognitive triggers are a factor of triggering specifically intense distress. This is mainly true for the people who had traumatic events like child abuse. A location, memory or image of a past experience of loss or trauma is able to bring about intense emotions. Though not all memories can be distressing, some can be good times reminding the present state is not good.

Note:
There are four types of BPD. They are discouraged BPD, impulsive BPD, petulant BPD and self-destructive BPD. Persons suffering from discouraged BPD exhibit co-dependent behaviour and tend to follow a group. Impulsive BPD sufferers are elusive, flirtatious and engaging. They exhibit self-injurious behaviour too. Petulant BPD sufferers are stubborn and pessimistic. Self-destructive BPD persons possess no sense of self.