You will be shocked at how many emails we have received asking this very question, so I thought it was time to separate facts from fiction. Sadly there is no way to answer this simply as there are so many different factors involved in what makes someone dangerous. You often find people with BPD are a danger to themselves, but not so much a danger to others. Sadly the truth is some people who suffer from BPD can indeed be dangerous to others which you can mostly blame on the symptoms of ‘Extreme Emotional Swings‘ and ‘Explosive Anger‘. But not all of us have those more volatile symptoms!
To be honest, most of the time those of us with BPD are pretty harmless and the condition will go unnoticed. But when things do get out of control there can be times when we do need to be hospitalised to protect others. Yes, those times are a rarity even in people not getting any form of treatment, but it is something to be watchful of. The easiest way to deal with those situations is to give that person some space. Walk away rather than argue with them, or call for professional help rather than try and calm them down yourself.
Having said all of that, you could easily argue that anyone could be considered dangerous if a heated situation. We all have our breaking point no matter who you are, where you are from or what mental health conditions you have. 99% of us with BPD will not commit a single crime, but those stats are also true with anyone else on this planet.
If you have any other questions relating to BPD or would just like some advice on the disorder do get in touch with us via the contact us page. It’s easy to do, we are both responsive and confidential, plus we never save any of your details in any way.
