Psychology MCAT Practice Exam

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by significant emotional instability, which manifests as extreme mood swings. Individuals with this disorder often experience intense emotions such as anger, anxiety, and depression, which can change rapidly, sometimes within a matter of hours. This emotional tumult can lead to impulsive behaviors, including reckless spending, substance abuse, or self-harm.

People with borderline personality disorder have difficulty maintaining stable relationships, partly due to their tendency to view experiences in an all-or-nothing manner. This leads them to idealize someone one moment and then suddenly devalue them the next. The impulsivity combined with emotional dysregulation is a hallmark of this disorder, distinguishing it from the other listed personality disorders.

In contrast, narcissistic personality disorder focuses more on a pervasive pattern of grandiosity and an excessive need for admiration, often lacking the emotional instability seen in borderline personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder is marked by a disregard for the rights of others and lacks the intense emotional experiences central to borderline disorder. Lastly, schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by eccentric behaviors and cognitive distortions rather than the emotional instability and impulsivity found in borderline personality disorder.