Recognizing borderline personality disorderDo you indentify with the following statements?I often feel "empty."My emotions shift very quickly, and I often experience extreme sadness, anger, and anxiety.I'm constantly afraid that the people I care about will abandon me or leave me.I would describe most of my romantic relationships as intense, but unstable.The way I feel about the people in my life can dramatically changefrom one moment to the next—and I don't always understand why.I often do things I know are dangerous or bad for me, such as driing recklessly, having unsafe sex, binge drinking, doing drugs, or going on spending sprees.I've attempted to hurt myself, engaged in self-harm behaviors such as cutting, or threatened suicide.When I'm feeling insecure in a relationship, I tend to lash out of make frantic gestures to keep the other person close.BPD is treatableIn the past, many mental health professionals had trouble treating borderline personality disorder (BPD), so they came to the mistaken conclusion that there was little to be done. But we now know that BPD is treatable. In fact, the long-term prognosis for BPD is better than those for depression and bipolar disorder. However, it requires a specialized approach. Bottom line: most people with BPD can and do get better—and they can do so fairly rapidly with the right treatments and support.Healing is a matter of breaking the dysfunctional patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are causing you difficulty and distress. It’s not easy to change lifelong habits. Choosing to pause, reflect, and then act in new ways will feel unnatural and uncomfortable at first. But with time you’ll form new habits that help you maintain your emotional balance and stay in control.