The fact is that they suffer from instability of emotions and self-image.

Misinformation births misunderstanding. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a condition that innately carries a lot of stigma with it. Misconceptions about it make people afraid of suffering from the condition and therefore stop people from seeking treatment and instead create a negative perception upon the disorder. One of the most common myths is that BPD patients are manipulative or attention-seeking de facto. However, this is not the case.

Often described as “drama queens” or “abusive”, people with BPD frequently create chaos in situations where others would easily deal with the disappointments and emotions that arise from time to time. A BPD affected person’s behaviour will be impulsive as a way of reacting to intense emotions. For behaviour to actually be considered manipulative there needs to be an element of preplanning and slight malice, which isn’t the case at all for BPD. People with this condition will make frantic efforts to avoid abandonment because they are aware their normal functioning will be hindered.

The source of these common misconceptions about the intentions and motives of BPD patients lies in fundamental misunderstanding. A person with BPD could function in a world where everybody loves them unconditionally. But because this scenario is impossible, they remain frustrated and angry, and resort to behaviours which can, unfortunately, be misunderstood as “manipulative”.

Around 2% to 5% of Australians are affected by BPD at some stage in their lives. If you or someone you know suffers from BPD, remember to be kind and fight the temptations of labelling them as something that they’re not. People with a personality disorder don’t choose to feel the way they do and are in no way responsible for developing the disorder.