Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is BPD Rage?CausesTreatmentCopingDealing With It

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Table of Contents

What Is BPD Rage?

Causes

Treatment

Coping

Dealing With It

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Intense, inappropriate anger can be one of the most challenging symptoms ofborderline personality disorder(BPD). This anger in BPD is often referred to as “borderline rage.” It can lead to explosive episodes of anger that are difficult to manage and can have a significant effect on a person’s relationships.

Even so, while anger is a key feature of BPD, very little is known about why people with BPD experience anger differently than other people, or how their experience is different. New research, however, is shedding light on the nature of borderline rage.

Borderline rage, or borderline anger, is more than just a standard emotional reaction. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), anger in BPD is described as “inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger.”

What is BPD rage like?A person with BPDmay react to an event that may seem small or unimportant to someone else, such as a misunderstanding, with very strong and unhealthy expressions of anger, including:

Why BPD Rage Occurs

While borderline anger has long been a topic of debate and speculation among BPD specialists, it has only recently become a focus of careful research. Experts are now examining how borderline anger is different than normal anger and why it occurs.

More specifically, researchers are trying to understand whether people with BPD are more easily angered, have more intense anger responses, or have more prolonged anger responses than people without BPD (or whether it’s some combination of these factors).

What triggers borderline rage?Common triggers of BPD rage can include:Emotionally challenging situations that seem threateningSituations where the person fears abandonmentBPD splitting, which is a type of black-and-white thinking where people see things as either all-good or all-badRuminating on angry thoughtsInterpersonal conflicts

What triggers borderline rage?

Common triggers of BPD rage can include:Emotionally challenging situations that seem threateningSituations where the person fears abandonmentBPD splitting, which is a type of black-and-white thinking where people see things as either all-good or all-badRuminating on angry thoughtsInterpersonal conflicts

Common triggers of BPD rage can include:

One study examined anger in people with BPD compared to those without BPD in response to an anger-producing story. This study found that people with BPD reported the same level of anger as the healthy controls (in response to the story). But, the healthy controls reported that their anger decreased more quickly over time than the people with BPD reported.

It may not be that people with BPD have a stronger anger reaction, but that their anger has a much longer duration than other people experience.

Eventually, the prolonged and intense anger triggers aggressive behavior, which a person engages in to relieve their rage.

Research in this area is very preliminary, and more work is needed to fully understand how and why people with BPD experience borderline anger.

Treatment for BPD Rage

There are a number of therapies that can be used to treat borderline personality disorder, including the often debilitating symptom of anger.

Psychotherapy

Most psychotherapies for BPD target the strong anger responses that people with BPD report and exhibit. For example, indialectical behavior therapy(DBT), patients are taught skills to help them better manage their anger and decrease angry outbursts.

Other types of psychotherapy for BPD that target anger include:

Get Help With These 7 Online Anger Management Classes

Medications

While there are nomedications for BPDthat are currently FDA approved to treat the disorder, there are some that have been shown to reduce anger in BPD.

Some medications prescribed for people with BPD include: antidepressants (such asProzacorWellbutrin),antipsychotics (such asAbilifyorSeroquel),or mood-stabilizing drugs (such asDepakote).

However, these medications are probably most effective when used in conjunction with psychotherapy.This is because while medications can alter the intensity of anger, they cannot fully prevent or erase a person’s anger when a life stressor or difficult situation arises.

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Coping With BPD Rage

There is no one-size-fits-all for coping with borderline rage, but the following strategies may be helpful in diffusing anger or curbing it before it escalates.

Address Your Stress Levels

It may be helpful to find productive ways of coping with stress, since stress is a known precursor to borderline rage.Try identifying triggers of stress, asking for help from family or friends,exercising regularly,eating a balanced diet, andgetting enough sleep.

Grounding Exercises for BPD

Find a Distraction

BPD anger often increases the longer you’re exposed to a frustrating situation.When you feel yourself becoming angry, try to remove yourself from a situation, and take some deep breaths.

You can even do something else to distract yourself, such as watching a funny video or taking a brisk walk around your neighborhood.

Notice If You’re Ruminating

If you have BPD and you’re experiencing negative thoughts repeating on a loop—thoughts that only increase your anger—there are ways to help disrupt the cycle.

To disrupt rumination, it may help to talk to a friend about how you’re feeling, perform a relaxation exercise, or do something to boost your mood like dancing or listening to music.

How to Deal With BPD Rage

If your loved one has BPD, you may find it difficult or even distressing to witness or be on the receiving end of their anger. Fortunately, there are many ways to increase your knowledge of borderline rage so that you can support your loved one and protect your emotional well-being.

How do you calm someone with BPD rage? Ultimately, it is up to the other person to control their anger. If someone is experiencing BPD rage, stay calm, let them express their feelings, and give them some space. If necessary, leave the situation until they are able to calm down.

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A Word From Verywell

It’s important to remember that anger itself is a normal emotion, so experiencing angry reactions does not mean you have BPD. Still, if you have difficulties with anger control, reaching out to a mental health professional is a good idea.

If you or a loved one has difficulties with borderline anger, please seek out care from atherapistor other mental health professional. You (or your loved one) can gain control over your anger and feel better.

Coping Skills for Borderline Personality Disorder

12 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.

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American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.

Bertsch K, Back S, Flechsenhar A, et al.Don’t make me angry: Frustration-induced anger and its link to aggression in women with borderline personality disorder.Front Psychiatry.2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.695062

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