We love watching our favorite celebrities perform live shows or play roles on TV. We often admire them and they impact us greatly personally and professionally. Some of us may also have regarded them as our idols. But have we ever wondered what is going on with these superstars in their personal lives? I am saying so because I have read about many famous people suffering from mental illness at some point. In this article, I am going to introduce you to a few famous people with borderline personality disorder.
We do read news about their broken relationships or abusive behavior in public, but may have never come to know about the underlying cause because these famous people will never come forward to accept that they are suffering from a mental disorder. This might be due to any cause.
I wonder if they would have come to combat such disorders. It would have acted as a boon for their followers who might have had to suffer from such illnesses.
Before moving on to the list of celebrities with BPD, it would be better to know a little about the symptoms of this illness. It will help you identify if your favorite celebrity is suffering from borderline personality disorder, even if they are sitting on the couch in your living room.
What is borderline personality disorder?
A borderline personality disorder is a mental health issue that can be identified with symptoms such as rapid mood swings, irrational behavior, and uncertainty about one’s self-image. These people often experience episodes of anxiety, anger, and depression.
Their relationships with family, friends, etc. cannot be long-lasting and they have to go through broken relationships. They are impulsive and can be destructive to themselves. The chances of having suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide are quite high.
The disorder was named borderline personality disorder as symptoms of this disorder are similar to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. So, it is not easy to identify borderline personality disorder celebrities, as in regular life they might be normal, but who knows what’s going on inside them? Moreover, these people never think of fighting against these disorders as it might affect their name and fame.
Many of them don’t even know that they actually have borderline personality disorder, and if they know somehow they don’t accept it. This is because of a lack of information and awareness about mental health. People don’t want to talk about it because of some kind of shame and societal pressure.
People who are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder deal with so many mental issues related to their emotions. Everyone who is around them is under pressure and dealing with many problems, as well as the person dealing with himself. It is harmful in both ways.
A person with borderline personality disorder is out of control of their mind. They become impulsive and a little thing is enough to send them into a rage and sometimes this rage returns to surrounding people through a few severely harmful acts and sometimes they return this rage to themselves in the same way, which includes self-harming acts.
The lives of these people become very difficult from the day they have the very first symptom of borderline personality disorder. They need care, but they don’t want people around them, and sometimes when they are not in control, it becomes dangerous to go near them for help.
It is not an untreatable problem. The situation can become easier and better if the treatment and prevention are taken at the right place and the right time. That one person who has borderline personality disorder needs to accept that he needs treatment, and sometimes it becomes the responsibility of his close ones to make him understand that he needs treatment and care.
In this article we will cover every aspect of borderline personality disorders with some examples of great personalities who have or had borderline personality disorders.
The cause of borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder is becoming a very common issue among people, but they aren’t able to understand that they have this problem. What are the main causes of borderline personality disorder?
In this section of this post, we will know the main reasons for developing the condition of borderline personality disorder.
If a person has dealt with some childhood traumas and some severe mental stress at a very young age , the chances of getting borderline personality disorder increase. These traumas are related to any kind, such as physically, sexually, and emotionally.
Separation from mother and father because of some tragedy, if they are alive, but still, the lack of mental attachment can cause borderline personality disorder in that person. Sometimes the boundaries that we create for our children are so difficult and not appropriate that they come under stress and start to feel mental issues, especially when they are introverted and can’t say anything comfortably about what is wrong with their environment. These boundaries become the reason for borderline personality disorder.
In some cases, the reason is related to their brain and stays inside the brain. We all have some special areas and parts of our brains that control and maintain our emotions. In people who have borderline personality disorder, these parts of the brain don’t work properly and are unable to communicate with other parts of the brain. This condition is one of the main causes of borderline personality disorder.
Sometimes it is genetic. If even one person in your family has borderline personality disorder, the chances are high that other members of the upcoming generation will have borderline personality disorder no matter what their mental condition is. It is genetically inherited in those cases.
Symptoms of borderline personality disorder
How do we know whether we have the chance of having borderline personality disorder or not?
Here is the solution: In this section, I am going to provide you with a brief description of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder.
The first and main symptom is anger management. People who have borderline personality disorder are very poor at anger management. They commonly have anger management issues in their normal daily life. They can’t control their rage, even over small things. In response to their rage on people, they are quick to make depressing sarcastic comments.
If a person is dealing with borderline personality disorder, he or she may have very harmful thoughts, but these thoughts are not permanent. They have a permanent feeling of self-emptiness. They think that they are not worthy of anything.
They commonly have self-harming and suicidal thoughts. They often harm themselves for very small things because they can’t control their emotions, especially rage and anger. They are easily triggered and have self-destructive thoughts. They have a fear of rejection.
They have very different moods and they change very fast. Sometimes they love, sometimes they hate, sometimes they have anxiety or depression, and other times they care. You can’t assume anything from those people when they change their mood. These mood swings are continuous.
They are very bad when it comes to relationships. Their relationships break easily and abruptly because of their behavior. The self-unworthy feelings and unstable self-image make their relationships very weak. They have a fear of negligence.
What is histrionic borderline personality disorder?
Histrionic borderline personality disorder is similar to borderline personality disorder. In this, a person wants attention, and to get it they can do anything positive or negative without measuring any risk. They are very dramatic in nature and have strong opinions regardless of whether these opinions are logical or not.
They have mood swings and have strange opinions about relationships. They think their relationships are closer, whether they are in reality close or not. They have this opinion.
Genetic reasons are the main cause of histrionic borderline personality disorder.
Saying no to someone with borderline personality disorder
People who have borderline personality disorder don’t accept and don’t like to listen to “no” words. They have a strong fear of rejection and can’t accept your ‘no’.
They start to show rage and do unexpected acts. Sometimes when they don’t say something as a reaction, they do self-harm acts to reveal their anger.
Celebrities with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
So, to keep you updated about borderline personality disorder celebrities, I also have added information about the famous borderline personalities who stood against the disease and fought against it. This fight will benefit not only them, but also their thousands of followers, who will be inspired to get involved and do something good for society.
According to studies, this disorder affects more than 2% of the US population, with 75% of those affected being women. Thus, this disorder is prominent in women, and you will find most of the famous people with BPD are females. But it is not a hard rule that the disorder can attack only one gender. In fact, in this article, I am also discussing the famous male celebrities suffering from BPD. I have added four more celebrities with borderline personality disorder to my list of 11.
Celebrities and Famous People With Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
1. Princess Diana:
- The disorder is also prevalent in royal families, and the most charismatic and famous celebrity suffering from it was Princess Diana. It is a true fact that the Princess of Wales has reported a borderline personality disorder. Although she was not diagnosed with it, reports said that there was proof available for her ailment.
- She was also undergoing a narcissistic disorder. She never reported this in public and never went for treatment for the ailment. However, it is reported that her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, are playing her part by promoting awareness of mental health issues.
2. Angelina Jolie:
- Hollywood’s highest-paid actress and filmmaker have also suffered from borderline personality disorder. In 1990, the actress became aware of the disorder and sought medical attention. It is written in her biography that she developed the disorder due to unfriendly father-daughter relations in her childhood.
- It is commendable that the actress came forward to inform the audience about the disorder and to serve as a representative for mental health and awareness promotion. She talked openly about self-mutilation and gave weight to the mental health awareness campaign.
- She is a dream girl for thousands of bachelors. Some of them might suffer from BPD, so her outspoken speeches about mental health issues might have helped them.
3. Britney Spears:
- Another famous and renowned celebrity with BPD is Britney Spears. This multi-talented actress has been kept undiagnosed for the disease, but like Angelina Jolie, she also manifests the symptoms of borderline disorder.
- She was reported to show extreme anger and anxiety with impulsive behavior. She was also associated with substance abuse and eating disorders, which are a clear indication of suffering from borderline disorder.
4. Megan Fox:
- This famous American actress and model shows the symptoms of borderline personality disorder with her impulsive nature and emotional dysregulation. But it was applauded for the fact that the actress didn’t hide it; instead, she openly spoke about it to the media.
- It is reported that the actress considers Marilyn Monroe her idol and has her tattoo, but later removed it because there was suspicion about Monroe suffering from BPD and bipolar disorder. She states that she doesn’t want to be attracted to any negative energy.
But here I would like to tell the readers that mental illness doesn’t spread through tattoos.
5. Marilyn Monroe:
- This famous actress and singer, who got fame as “The Sex Symbol for All Time,” was also suffering from the symptoms of borderline personality disorder along with depression and addiction to substances. But the disorder was left undiagnosed for the actress.
- Reports said that the actress developed the disorder in her childhood when she was in an orphanage but never realized it. She married thrice, but none of her marriages lasted for a long time. She was reported to talk regularly about her depression.
- Later on, she died due to the barbiturate overdose.
6. Lindsay Lohan:
- Another celebrity with a borderline personality disorder is Lindsay Lohan. The famous actress and singer were found abducted for substance abuse at the age of puberty. She is also reported to be an alcoholic.
- As per reports, cut marks can be easily seen on her arms, indicating her self-destructive and impulsive nature. However, the actress was never officially diagnosed with BPD, but she has clear signs of suffering from the disorder.
7. Mindy McCready:
- The renowned musician and singer has also been observed with the symptoms of BPD. Some of them include her suicidal behavior, substance abuse, and unstable relationships.
- The celebrity has attempted suicide twice with an overdose of drugs. She is an alcoholic too. She was also abducted for drug abuse with a fake prescription for a pain-killer.
8. Amy Winehouse:
- This well-known British singer is also on the list, and sadly, she lost her battle for life when she was only 27 years old in 2011.She was found dead in her London flat but the cause of death was not reported.
- However, her husband suggested that she may have symptoms of BPD such as recurring suicidal attempts, instability in relationships, eating disorders, etc. She had reported impulsive behavior.
These are the few names of famous people with BPD in the female category. Although the inclination of the disease is more towards females, some male superstars have also struggled with the disease. I have also added their names to my list and here they are:
9. Charlie Sheen:
- A well-known American actor and former “Two and Half Man” cast member reveals the truth about his mental illness.Charlie Sheen admits that he has experienced severe side effects from the medications for HIV.
- The actor confesses to his struggles with borderline personality disorder and persistent migraines.
10. Pete Davidson:
- A young American stand-up comedian and actor, Pete Davidson, was also diagnosed with borderline personality disorder a few years back, but the youngster is not afraid to open up about his mental health issues. He has posted on his Instagram about it. He clarified that he is trying to help the kids like him. so that they don’t have to go through the same issues. He said that he wants to make kids aware of the disorder.
- Although the actor has to go through the internet and public bullying to confess to the disorder, he is still not afraid to speak about it.
- He is truly a great supporter and promoter of mental health awareness, and some people must have also applauded him.
11. Brandon Marshall:
- The famous name in the world of football and player in the National Football League, Brand Marshall, also suffered from the disorder and was diagnosed in 2011.
- The player broke down the stigma of being mentally disturbed and not discussing it with anyone. He came up straight to talk about it. In one of his speeches, Marshall said that we have been taught to be tough and in most of his life, he considered mental health to be mental toughness and we don’t need to discuss it in society.
- He said he learned about communication skills being an art form to share with others at Mclean, the hospital where the player undergoes treatment sessions for BPD.
12. Doug Ferrari
- You have heard the name of Doug Ferrari. He is a famous American comedian and also a writer.
- In the early phases of his career, everything was going well, but in the late 90s he was dealing with mental health issues.
- After some time, he realized that he had borderline personality disorder, but the situation was getting worse and he had to lose everything, even his house.
- Then, after the proper treatment of borderline personality disorder, he is now fine and doing well in his field.
13. Jim Carrey
- Jim Carrey himself is a brand in his career in the comedy field. He is a very famous Hollywood comedy actor.
- He had also faced depression and other mental issues in his life.
- Even though he hasn’t mentioned borderline personality disorder, he openly talks about his mental health issues.
- He dealt with his depression with bravery and has overcome it.
14. Robbie Williams
- Who doesn’t know Robbie Williams?… A great singer and songwriter in Hollywood. His full name is Robert Peter Williams.
- He also talks about his depression problems and mental struggles, which have a severe impact on his life.
- Even though he hasn’t mentioned borderline personality disorder, it is obvious to think about the existence of borderline personality disorder in his life.
- Now he has overcome it and lives a happy life.
15. Elizabeth Wurtzel
- She was an American writer and journalist born in New York.
- In her life, many incidents happened which led her to mental health issues and depression.
- She had borderline personality disorder and she had written about it in her writings.
- She died on January 7, 2020, because of breast cancer.
Conclusion:
From the above findings, what I can conclude is that borderline personality disorder is a serious and complicated health issue, and any of us can be a victim. I think the one who is suffering from it should come up to talk about it publicly. As the disorder does not come with age, unlike other disorders in which a person suffers due to increasing age, it is the responsibility of every citizen to not hide it by abusing drugs and consuming alcohol. Instead, talk about it, go through the medications, and live your life peacefully.
If you do not fight it, the disorder will eat you from the inside out, like worms eating the log.So, it’s better to wake up on time and prevent the results from being fatal, and that too, at an early age like Amy Winehouse. Whatever name and fame you have gained is worthless, if you have not stood up for yourself and have not treated yourself to prevent yourself from becoming destructive and living an imbalanced life.