Many people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) struggle with identity issues -- one of the core symptoms of the disorder like Who am I? What do I believe in? What is my place in this world? Many people without BPD also struggle with identity issues.But people with BPD often have a very profound lack of sense of self.

1. Who Am I? Borderline Personality
Disorder and Identity Problems
(Personality Disorder 1B)
by
Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd),
Mtech(IIT Delhi),CE(I),FIE(I),FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI
Contact -+919007224278,
e-mail -muktesh_prasad@yahoo.co.in
for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board” and
SSB guidance and training at Shivnandani Edu and
Defence Academy,Kolkata,India

2. Who Am I? Borderline Personality Disorder and Identity
Problems
 Many people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) struggle
with identity issues -- one of the core symptoms of the disorder
like
 Who am I?
 What do I believe in?
 What is my place in this world?
 Many people without BPD also struggle with identity issues.
 But people with BPD often have a very profound lack of sense
of self.
 "Who Am I?" – What Is Identity?

3. Who Am I? What is Identity?
 What exactly is “identity”? Identity can be hard to describe, but let’s look at
how some experts would define it.
 First, most experts view identity as your overarching sense and view of
yourself.
 A stable sense of identity means being able to see yourself as the same
person in the past, present, and future.
 In addition, a stable sense of self requires the ability to view yourself in
one way despite the fact that sometimes you may behave in
contradictory ways.
 Identity is quite broad, and includes many aspects of the self.
 Your sense of self or identity is probably made up of your
 beliefs,
 attitudes,
 abilities,
 history,
 ways of behaving,
 personality,
 temperament,
 knowledge,
 opinions, and

4. Who Am I? What is Identity?
 Identity can be thought of as your self-definition; it’s the
glue that holds together all of these diverse aspects of
your self.
 Why Is Identity Important?
 Having a sense of identity probably serves many different
functions.
 First, if you have a strong identity, it allows you to
develop self-esteem.
 Without knowing who you are, how can you develop a
sense that you are worthwhile and deserving of respect?
 In addition, a strong identity can help you to adapt to
changes.
 While the world around you is constantly changing, if you
have a strong sense of self, you essentially have an
anchor to hold you while you adapt.
 Without that anchor, changes can feel chaotic and even
terrifying.

5. The Question "Who Am I?" and BPD
 One of the symptoms of BPD listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders is “identity disturbance,” or a markedly and
persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
 For example, consider this quote from a borderline patient that was included
in a review of the topic published in the Journal of Personality Disorders):
 “. . . it is very difficult for me to let other people get close to me. I am
simply too afraid that they will discover that I am nothing at all, that I
am nobody, a shadow, a ghost. I am afraid that they will find out that I
don’t have any opinion about anything, no attitudes, no ideology, that I
don’t know anything about anything, and suddenly they will figure out
how boring I really am.”
 People with BPD often report that they have no idea who they are or what
they believe in.
 Sometimes people with BPD report that they simply feel “non-existent.”
 Others even report that they are almost like a chameleon in terms of
identity; they change who they are depending on their circumstances and
what they think others want from them.
 For example, you might find yourself being the “life of the party” at social
events, but having a somber and serious demeanor at work functions.
 Of course, everyone changes their behavior to some degree in different
contexts, but in BPD this shift is much more profound; many people
with BPD report that in addition to behavior, their thoughts and feelings

6. The Question "Who Am I?" and BPD
Identity problems in BPD are sometimes
called “identity diffusion.”
This refers to difficulties determining
who you are in relation to other people.
 Some people with BPD may describe
this as having difficulties
understanding where you “end” and
the other person “begins.”
As a result, many people with BPD
struggle to set up and maintain
healthy personal boundaries.

7. Why Do People With BPD Have Identity Problems?
 Unfortunately, there has been very little research on the
identity problems associated with BPD, but there are many
theories as to why people with BPD often struggle with
identity.
 For example, Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., who
founded dialectical behavior therapy, believes you
develop identity by observing your own emotions,
thoughts, and feelings, in addition to others’ reactions
to you.
 If you have BPD and the associated emotional
instability, impulsive behavior, and dichotomous
thinking, you may have difficulty forming a coherent
sense of self because your internal experiences and
outward actions are not consistent.
 In addition, many people with BPD come from chaotic or
abusive backgrounds, which may contribute to unstable
sense of self.

8. How to Find Yourself
 So how do you go about answering the question “who am I?”
 Of course, there is no magic solution for identity problems -- these issues
are complicated.
 However, most treatments for BPD include components that can help you
to begin to discover who you are and what you stand for.
 The first step in finding yourself is finding a good therapist who can help
you work on identity problems.
 In addition, there are ways that you can work on identity issues on your own.
 For example, this exercise is one way that people begin to discover their
own identity:
 Values Exercise: Finding Meaning
 Sources:
 Fuchs T. “Fragmented Selves: Temporality and Identity in Borderline Personality
Disorder.” Psychopathology. 40(6):379-387, 2007.
 Jorgensen CR. “Disturbed Sense of Identity in Borderline Personality Disorder.” Journal of Personality
Disorders. 20(6):618-644, 2006.
 Linehan MM. Cognitive-behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality
Disorder. New York: Guilford, 1993.