Expert warns of one worrying sign you might have a personality disorder

A psychiatrist has revealed one little-known sign that could tell you if you have this personality disorder.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in 20 people in the UK are diagnosed with a personality disorder, making it a fairly common occurrence.

Now, there are many of these kinds of disorders and they all have different symptoms - though, some do overlap.

Right now, there are ten recognised disorders that fall under three clusters: Type A, B, or C.

Type A includes conditions that have ‘odd’ thoughts, including paranoid thinking or preferring to be alone, per Medline Plus. One example is schizoid personality disorder.

Type B includes ‘dramatic and emotional’ behaviours and thoughts (including narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder), while Type C involves ‘anxious and fearful thoughts’ and behaviour (such as avoidant or dependent personality disorder).

The expert explained one sign of a personality disorder (Kathrin Ziegler/ Getty Stock)

Within type B, is one personality disorder that Professor Ahmed Hankir, a consultant psychiatrist, revealed one subtle sign about.

In a TikTok video describing a symptom that people should be aware of, Hankir explained that it’s something that people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) display.

It’s called: limerence.

According to the NHS, people with BPD often struggle with their emotions, and find it hard to regulate themselves.

They may also have ‘disturbed patterns of thinking or perception’, impulsive behaviour, and ‘intense but unstable relationships with others.’

Regarding this last point, Hankir says that this is where limerence could be at play.

“Have you ever been so obsessed with someone that your entire world revolves around them - even when they ignore you or hurt you?” he asked in the clip.

“That might not just be love,” he continued. “It could be limerence, one of the least known but most painful symptoms of borderline personality disorder.”

Limerence can lead to us being fixated on people who are abusive (Getty Stock Images)

He went on to explain that people with BPD often idealise people and put them high up in their thoughts, despite the fact that they usually choose people who are emotionally unavailable and also may not treat them so well.

Despite this, the person might ‘crave their validation like oxygen and even the smallest breadcrumb of attention feels euphoric’.

But when they take the attention away, your world might feel like it’s falling.

This is because ‘many people with BPD describe having an inconsistent or emotionally absent caregiver, sometimes a father figure, sometimes a mother,’ said the expert.

So, as adults, people with BPD ‘unconsciously recreate that dynamic, chasing people who replicate that same emotional distance, desperately trying to earn the love they never consistently received' and risk 'losing themselves in the pursuit of someone else's approval'.

He warned limerence can lead to rage, despair or suicidal thoughts, stressing these thoughts 'are not weakness and you're not alone' and therapy can help you regulate your feelings.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.