Personality and Mood Disorders Q 96
Nurse Florence assesses Mrs. B with borderline personality disorder. Which of the following behaviors are common to this diagnosis? Select all that apply.
A. Intense fear of being alone.
B. Evidence of self-mutilating attempts.
C. Evidence of suspiciousness and mistrust of others.
D. Indifferent attitude toward approval of criticism.
E. Unstable moods with impulsive behaviors.
F. Presence of odd mannerisms, speech, and behaviors.
Correct Answers: A, B, E
These are all common characteristics of an individual with borderline personality disorder. BPD can often interfere with your ability to enjoy life or achieve fulfillment in relationships, work, or school. It’s associated with specific and significant problems in interpersonal relationships, self-image, emotions, behaviors, and thinking.
Option A: BPD is associated with an intense fear of being abandoned by loved ones and attempts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. This usually leads to difficulty trusting others, putting a strain on relationships.
Option B: BPD is associated with a tendency to engage in risky and impulsive behaviors, such as going on shopping sprees, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or abusing drugs, engaging in promiscuous or risky sex, or binge eating. Also, people with BPD are more prone to engage in self-harming behaviors, such as cutting or burning and attempting suicide.
Option C: Suspiciousness and mistrust of others (option C) are characteristic of paranoid personality disorder. The primary characteristic of this condition is a chronic and pervasive distrust and suspicion of others.
Option D: This is a characteristic of someone with schizoid personality disorder, which is generally aloof in relationships and has unusual speech and mannerisms. They have a sense of indifference to praise and affirmation, as well as to criticism or rejection.
Option E: Emotional instability is a key feature of BPD. Individuals feel like they’re on an emotional roller coaster with quick mood shifts (i.e., going from feeling OK to feeling extremely down or blue within a few minutes). Mood changes can last from minutes to days and are often intense. Anger, anxiety, and overwhelming emptiness are common as well.
Option F: People with schizoid personality disorder are often described by others as aloof, cold, and detached. Those who have the disorder may prefer being alone, but some may also experience loneliness and social isolation as a result.