BPD Suicidality in Borderline Personality Disorder By Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 26, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Steven Gans, MD Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Eric Audras / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Self-Harm and Suicide in BPD How to Get Help How to Help a Loved One Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for 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 our National Helpline Database. Suicidal behaviors and completed suicides are very common in people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Research has shown that about 75% of people with BPD will make at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime, and many will make multiple suicide attempts. People with BPD are also more likely to complete suicide than individuals with any other psychiatric disorder. It has been estimated that between 3% to 10% of people with BPD complete suicide, which is more than 50 times the rate of suicide in the general population. Self-Harm and Suicide in BPD There are several factors related to BPD that may explain why suicide, self-harm, and suicide attempts are so common. Severe Emotional Pain BPD is associated with very intense negative emotional experiences. These experiences are so painful that many people with BPD report that they want to find a way to escape. They may use a number of different strategies to try to reduce their emotional pain, such as deliberate self-harm, substance use, and even suicide. Duration BPD is a chronic condition and usually lasts for years. One of the most unique aspects of BPD is suicidal ideation. People with this condition may consider suicide on a daily basis for months, even years. This may leave people with BPD feeling that there is no other way out, despite the fact that there are effective treatments available for BPD. Comorbidity BPD tends to co-occur with other mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizoaffective disorder. When there are other mental disorders present, the risk of suicide increases. Impulsivity BPD is associated with impulsivity, or a tendency to act quickly without thinking about consequences. Individuals with BPD may engage in suicidal behaviors in a moment of intense emotional pain without fully considering the consequences. Substance Use BPD often co-occurs with substance use, and the use of drugs or alcohol is a risk factor for suicide all by itself. When substance use issues are combined with BPD, this may be a particularly lethal combination. Substance use can lead to even greater impulsivity, and people who are using substances have access to a means for overdose. Brain Abnormalities Brain imaging has shown that compared to healthy people, individuals with BPD tend to have abnormalities involving the brain's structure, metabolism, and function. These abnormalities appear to contribute to BPD symptoms such as impulsivity and aggression, both of which are associated with suicidal behavior. One study explored the relationship between impulsivity, aggression, and suicidal behavior in the brain structures of people with BPD who had attempted suicide. The participants were put into two groups depending on how lethal their suicide attempts had been. In the group labeled "high lethality," meaning their suicide attempts had been extremely harmful, there was less gray matter in multiple areas of the brain than in the "low lethality" group. A similar study also showed a significantly reduced amount of gray matter in the brains of individuals with BPD when compared with healthy people. In people with BPD who had attempted suicide, there was less gray matter in eight out of nine areas. In people with BPD who had not attempted suicide, there was less gray matter in five out of nine areas. And, similar to the other study, the higher lethality suicide attempters had notably less gray matter than the lower lethality attempters in certain areas. How to Get Help If You're Having Suicidal Thoughts If you or a loved one is at immediate risk of committing suicide, you need to get help now. Call 911 if you're in the United States or Canada, call the local police, or get yourself to your nearest emergency room. If you're not at immediate risk of suicide, but you're having thoughts of suicide and need to get support, call a helpline to talk about how you're feeling and to find resources near you. In the United States, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it's free and confidential. The emotional pain associated with BPD is very intense, and it can leave you feeling as if you are completely alone and will never feel better. Try to remember that there are people who know how to treat BPD and want to help you. Treatment can make a huge difference in your life. Help a Loved One With BPD Who Is Suicidal Sometimes friends or family pick up on signs of suicidality even if their loved one hasn't said anything about suicide. If you think your loved one may be thinking of suicide, but you're not sure, talk to them. Let them know that you're worried about them. Ask them whether your concerns are valid. Offer to help. This can be hard to do, because sometimes symptoms can make the person with BPD very difficult to deal with. But for the time being, the most important thing is to help your loved one stay safe. Showing care and concern for your loved one's safety and well-being can go a long way. 8 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Goodman M, Tomas IA, Temes CM, Fitzmaurice GM, Aguirre BA, Zanarini MC. Suicide attempts and self-injurious behaviours in adolescent and adult patients with borderline personality disorder. Personal Ment Health. 2017;11(3):157-163. doi:10.1002/pmh.1375 American Psychiatric Association. Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2001;158(10 Suppl):1-52. Fertuck EA, Karan E, Stanley B. The specificity of mental pain in borderline personality disorder compared to depressive disorders and healthy controls. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2016;3:2. doi:10.1186/s40479-016-0036-2 Paris J. Half in love with easeful death: the meaning of chronic suicidality in borderline personality disorder. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2004;12(1):42-48. Kulacaoglu F, Kose S. Borderline personality disorder (BPD): In the midst of vulnerability, chaos, and awe. Brain Sci. 2018;8(11):201. doi:10.3390/brainsci8110201 Trull TJ, Freeman LK, Vebares TJ, Choate AM, Helle AC, Wycoff AM. Borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders: An updated review. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2018;5:15. doi:10.1186/s40479-018-0093-9 Soloff P, White R, Diwadkar VA. Impulsivity, aggression and brain structure in high and low lethality suicide attempters with borderline personality disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2014;222(3):131-139. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.02.006 Soloff PH, Pruitt P, Sharma M, Radwan J, White R, Diwadkar VA. Structural brain abnormalities and suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2012;46(4):516-525. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.01.003 Additional Reading Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Behavioral health treatments and services. Zeng R, Cohen LJ, Tanis T, et al. Assessing the contribution of borderline personality disorder and features to suicide risk in psychiatric inpatients with bipolar disorder, major depression and schizoaffective disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2015;226(1):361-7. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2015.01.020 By Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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