Julie Answers: What are some good factors to identify if you might have borderline personality disorder?

There’s been so much talk about it recently, I thought I would offer my contribution

Photo by Arno Senoner on Unsplash

Pam says: I have noticed that I’ve started to remember things from my past that I had forgotten. These are traumatic memories that I start to remember out of nowhere. One hit me when I ate a certain kind of cookie.

I also often feel that I have two sides to myself — the one that cares for me but is perceived by the world as mean, and the one that is kind to everyone but is always scared of being hurt or abandoned. My fear of being rejected is huge. I don’t know how to stay committed because I would rather leave before I’m left.

I don’t want to hurt people but always find myself in these situations where I get in a relationship and run. I always feel that I won’t be enough and sometimes I just randomly shut down.

Dear Pam,

I can tell from the details in your question that you are already well informed about the characteristics that make up borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is healthy and appropriate to make an educated guess about your own symptoms as you try to better understand what is going on with you. However, I need…