Does stress trigger negative BPD behaviors?

[NikiTea]

Without a doubt, stress IS usually THE cause of negative behaviors. The BPD is always there, but I believe stress is the catalyst that triggers the difficult behaviors.

The fact that BP can be more easily stressed than others makes this even harder.

My BP sister:

1) stressed about going to university (all the time)

2) then stressed about getting a job, and started to reminisce about how good college was ( )

3) stressed about applying/interviewing/starting new jobs

4) then quit/fired and stressed about being unemployed

5) go back to step 2, and repeat!

... .  right now she's stressed out about having absolutely no responsibilities and nothing to do. It's a no-win situation!   

[GeekyGirl]

I believe so. As you said, stress can bring out stronger emotions even in people who don't have BPD. Regardless of what's causing her cycle of employment/unemployment (and her part in causing it), she's stressing out about things that would cause most people some stress.

Does her behavior towards you or other members of the family change when she's stressed?

[NikiTea]

Yes, the behaviors most certainly do! If she was stressed and internalized or managed it better, it wouldn't be a problem. What happens when she's stressed is what is so frustrating to live with.

She rages, complains non-stop, gets insanely jealous of others, and picks fights. This causes other people to react negatively or just be on edge. If she's not at home, she gets really nervous. When she lived somewhere else for a temporary internship, she also developed other "health" problems in response, which she believes are serious and make her unable to work, but are all psychologically based. She might be excluded from activities because we are all reeling in the pain of the last incident and can't stand being around her, which obviously prolongs things and makes the situation worse for everyone.

Her naturally impulsive personality, emotional stability of a 13-year-old, combined with her stressed-out BP self make it an impossible situation to deal with!

[justnothing]

Has your sister ever considered stress relief exercises and the like? For that matter, is she aware of having a problem relating to stress?

I get a feeling that stress probably brings out the worst in just about every disorder. At least that's something I've noticed in people with different kinds of disorders.