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Splitting is a term used in psychiatry to describe the inability tohold opposing thoughts, feelings, or beliefs. Some might say that a person who splits sees the world in terms of black or white—all or nothing. It’s a distorted way of thinking in which the positive or negative attributes of a person or event are neither weighed nor cohesive.
Verywell / Hugo Lin
Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
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1:25
Click Play to Learn More About Splitting
Effects of Splitting
Splitting can interfere withrelationshipsand lead to intense and self-destructive behaviors. A person who splits will typically frame people or events in terms that are absolute, with no middle ground for discussion.
Examples
Examples of splitting behavior may include:
What makes splitting all the more confusing is that the belief can sometimes be iron-clad or shift back and forth from one moment to the next. People who split are often seen to be overly dramatic or overwrought, especially when declaring that things have either “completely fallen apart” or “completely turned around.” Such behavior can be exhausting to those around them.
What Is Triangulation in Psychology?
Symptoms
Understanding the process of diagnosis and the careful management of borderline personality disorder can be helpful in understanding behaviors like splitting that are associated with the condition.
Diagnosis
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Caring and Management
There is no easy answer on how to deal with a loved one who has BPD, especially when symptoms are extreme. How you cope depends largely on the nature of your relationship and the impact your loved one’s symptoms are having on your family.
However, there are some guiding principles that may help, including:
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There may be times where you will need to take more drastic action. In the event that the relationship isharming your family, your work, and your sense of well-being, you may be faced with the reality that the relationship cannot continue.
While this is an incredibly painful choice for everyone involved, it can also be the healthiest one in some cases. If needed, this decision should be made with the help of a qualified mental health professional.
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fertuck EA, Fischer S, Beeney J.Social cognition and borderline personality disorder: Splitting and trust impairment findings.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2018;41(4):613-632 doi:10.1016/j.psc.2018.07.003Biskin RS, Paris J.Diagnosing borderline personality disorder.CMAJ. 2012;184(16):1789–1794. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090618National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fertuck EA, Fischer S, Beeney J.Social cognition and borderline personality disorder: Splitting and trust impairment findings.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2018;41(4):613-632 doi:10.1016/j.psc.2018.07.003Biskin RS, Paris J.Diagnosing borderline personality disorder.CMAJ. 2012;184(16):1789–1794. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090618National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Fertuck EA, Fischer S, Beeney J.Social cognition and borderline personality disorder: Splitting and trust impairment findings.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2018;41(4):613-632 doi:10.1016/j.psc.2018.07.003Biskin RS, Paris J.Diagnosing borderline personality disorder.CMAJ. 2012;184(16):1789–1794. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090618National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.
Fertuck EA, Fischer S, Beeney J.Social cognition and borderline personality disorder: Splitting and trust impairment findings.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2018;41(4):613-632 doi:10.1016/j.psc.2018.07.003
Biskin RS, Paris J.Diagnosing borderline personality disorder.CMAJ. 2012;184(16):1789–1794. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090618
National Institute of Mental Health.Borderline personality disorder.
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