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Ever felt like your outward success doesn't match the conflict and turmoil you feel on the inside? You may look like you have it all together, but on the inside, you experience intense emotions, feel like you're on a roller coaster in your relationships, and struggle to find a solid sense of self.
If this sounds like you, you're not alone. While these feelings can be common, they may also be a sign of high-functioning borderline personality disorder (BPD). Living with this condition can feel like wearing a mask of competence while struggling with a storm of emotions internally.
Seeking understanding (what you're doing right now!) is a brave step forward, especially if you've kept these feelings in for so long. Our quiz is designed to help you reflect on your experiences and explore whether you might have high-functioning BPD. But regardless of what your results say, your feelings are valid, and support is available.
Let's dive in.
How accurate is this quiz?
At Best Therapists, we believe that online mental health quizzes can be an excellent first step towards improving our mental health. Quizzes like this one can educate you and provide opportunities for self-reflection, but note that they are not a substitute for professional assessments and diagnoses.
Take our quiz below ↓
Your privacy is important to us, so all results are completely anonymous and no email is required.
Example scenarios
- The Successful Lawyer: Alex is a 35-year-old attorney known for her sharp mind and work ethic. She consistently wins cases and impresses clients with her confidence. However, beneath this successful exterior, Alex struggles with intense emotional swings. After a minor criticism from a colleague, she might spend hours fighting feelings of worthlessness and anger, all while maintaining a professional demeanor at work. Her personal relationships are often tumultuous; she swings between idealizing and devaluing her partners, though she hides this turmoil from her professional circle. Alex uses her work as a coping mechanism, often working long hours to avoid dealing with her emotional instability.
- The Charismatic Entrepreneur: Marcus, 42, runs a thriving tech startup. He's known for his innovative ideas and ability to charm investors. However, Marcus constantly battles an intense fear of abandonment. When a key team member considers leaving the company, Marcus experiences overwhelming anxiety and anger, though he maintains a calm exterior in the office. He struggles with a fragile sense of self, often changing his interests and goals to match those of people he admires. Despite his outward success, Marcus engages in risky behaviors like excessive drinking and gambling to cope with his internal emotional turmoil, carefully hiding these habits from his professional network.
- The High-Achieving Student: Sophia is a 22-year-old college senior with a perfect GPA and a promising job offer. She's involved in multiple extracurricular activities and is well-liked by professors and peers. However, Sophia struggles with intense and unstable emotions. She experiences rapid mood swings, often feeling elated one moment and deeply depressed the next, though she maintains a composed demeanor in public. Sophia has a pattern of intense but short-lived friendships and romantic relationships, quickly becoming attached and then pushing people away when she fears abandonment. She manages her external image carefully but engages in self-harm in private to cope with feelings of emptiness and emotional pain.
In each of these cases, the individuals maintain high levels of functionality in their professional or academic lives while struggling with the hallmark symptoms of BPD internally.
They may be adept at hiding their struggles from others, but the emotional intensity, fear of abandonment, unstable relationships, and identity issues significantly impact their internal experiences and personal lives. This disconnect between their outward success and internal struggles is characteristic of high-functioning BPD.
