Understanding Your Role in the BPD Relationship

Why they may choose you as their “Favorite Person”

Annie Tanasugarn, PhD
Published in
8 min readOct 11, 2024

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TW: This article is meant to be sensitive, informative and educational. However, some may find it emotionally “triggering”, specifically those living with Borderline Personality Disorder, as this article discusses traits, patterns and common behaviors seen in BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by nine specific criteria, including difficulty with regulating their emotions. Emotional difficulty often includes vacillating between feeling numb or empty and intensely dysregulated emotions including an almost manic-like cheeriness, rage, or existential sadness. Transient dissociation is also commonly experienced, especially when emotionally “triggered”, along with impulsivity in areas such as relationships, driving, and drug or alcohol consumption. Similarly, unstable interpersonal relationships are a hallmark of the disorder, along with frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.

A common theme that surrounds BPD is that the symptoms tend to ebb and flow throughout a person’s life, and are often triggered in times of relational stress. Hence, when a person living with BPD feels things are going well in their relationships, they may also feel on top of the world (and prone to idealizing those in…

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Annie Tanasugarn, PhD
Annie Tanasugarn, PhD

Written by Annie Tanasugarn, PhD

Psychologist. Certified Trauma & Relationship Specialist. This is my only account.