Comorbid Conditions Symptom Tests

[Self-Test] Borderline Personality Disorder in Adults

Take this borderline personality disorder (BPD) test to see how your symptoms compare to those of this Cluster B personality disorder.

By ADDitude Editors Verified Medically reviewed by Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D. Reviewed on September 7, 2022
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Do I Have BPD? Borderline Personality Disorder Test

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by severe emotional dysregulation, often resulting in unstable interpersonal relationships, hypersensitivity to rejection, distorted self-image, marked impulsivity, and self-harming behaviors.1 2 About 1.6% of the population has BPD.3 Women are more likely to be diagnosed with BPD than are men, though researchers believe that BPD is often underdiagnosed and/or overlooked in men due to gender bias, treatment reluctance among male patients, and other factors.4

BPD falls under Cluster B personality disorders, which are marked by dramatic, overly emotional, and/or erratic thinking and behavior.1

“People with borderline personality disorder tend to view things in extremes, such as in all good or all bad,” according to Dr. Stephanie Stepp, an associate professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, who specializes in BPD. “Their opinions of other people can change very quickly. An individual who might seem a friend one day may be considered an enemy or a traitor the next. And these shifting feelings can lead to intense and unstable relationships.” BPD symptoms, she says, often appear during periods of extreme stress, usually involving interpersonal events.

BPD often co-occurs with other conditions, including anxiety, depression, other personality disorders, and even attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).5 In fact, researchers estimate that between 30% to 60% of individuals with BPD also have ADHD.6

BPD, especially if untreated, is highly distressing and impairing. Compared to the general population, individuals with BPD are at greater risk for suicidal behavior and suicide attempts.7 If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, dial or text 988 to connect to a trained counselor from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.

If you suspect that you have symptoms of BPD, answer the questions below and share the results with a licensed mental health professional who is experienced in diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders.

This self-test was adapted from the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) and from criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is designed to screen for the possibility of BPD, and it is for personal use only. This test is not intended as a diagnostic tool. Only a licensed mental health professional can diagnose BPD.

I worry that loved ones — family, friends, and romantic partners — are on the verge of rejecting me.

I fight and argue (and break up) with those closest to me.

I question if I know who I am and what makes me “me.” I’m unsure of my identity and values.

I engage in self-harm (cutting, punching, burning, etc.) when I’m upset and/or think about suicide.

I go to great lengths to get reassurance from people close to me that they won’t abandon me. (E.g, I call someone to hear that they care; I literally beg people not to leave me)

I find it difficult to trust other people and their intentions.

I struggle with anger and tend to act in a sarcastic, irritable manner.

I struggle with binge eating, impulsive spending, excessive drinking, gambling, risky sexual behaviors, and/or controlling verbal outbursts.

I get extremely upset when a friend is late to meet up with me or cancels plans at the last minute.

Things around me feel unreal. Sometimes, I feel as if I’m not real.

I feel chronic “emptiness” and boredom.


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Borderline Personality Disorder: Next Steps

View Article Sources

1 American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Borderline personality disorder. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).

2 Chapman J, Jamil RT, Fleisher C. Borderline Personality Disorder. [Updated 2022 May 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430883/

3 Ellison, W. D., Rosenstein, L. K., Morgan, T. A., & Zimmerman, M. (2018). Community and Clinical Epidemiology of Borderline Personality Disorder. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 41(4), 561–573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2018.07.008

4 Robitaille, M. P., Checknita, D., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R. E., Paris, J., & Hodgins, S. (2017). A prospective, longitudinal, study of men with borderline personality disorder with and without comorbid antisocial personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation, 4, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-017-0076-2

5 Biskin R. S. (2015). The Lifetime Course of Borderline Personality Disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 60(7), 303–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371506000702

6 Ditrich, I., Philipsen, A., & Matthies, S. (2021). Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) revisited – a review-update on common grounds and subtle distinctions. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, 8(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-021-00162-w

7 Grilo, C. M., & Udo, T. (2021). Association of Borderline Personality Disorder Criteria With Suicide Attempts Among US Adults. JAMA Network Open, 4(5), e219389. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.9389