Is Borderline Personality Disorder a Disability?

Under U.S. law, is borderline personality disorder a disability?

Contact Time Wellness Centers today to learn more about our borderline personality treatment in Atlanta, GA.

What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Answering the question, “Is borderline personality disorder a disability?” begins with understanding what this condition is and how it can a person’s life.

Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is one of 10 personality disorders in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is classified as a Cluster B disorder, along with antisocial, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders. 

The DSM-5 describes Cluster B disorders as causing people to act in ways that are “dramatic, emotional, or erratic.” 

Referring specifically to BPD, the DSM-5 notes that it is characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability and impulsivity, primarily impacting a person’s relationships, self-image, and affects (how they experience and express emotions).

Symptoms

The DSM-5 includes nine diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder. To be accurately diagnosed with BPD, a person must meet at least five of these criteria:

1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
2. History of intense and unstable relationships during which the individual alternately idealizes and devalues the other person
3. Persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
4. Impulsivity in at least two areas that can cause considerable harm, such as binge eating, spending sprees, reckless driving, substance use, and unsafe sex
5. Frequent thoughts, threats, and behaviors related to self-harm and/or suicide
6. Periods of intense irritability, anxiety, or dysphoria (general sense of unease or displeasure with life) that can last from a few hours to a few days
7. Chronic feelings of emptiness
8. Inappropriate anger that can be difficult to control and may lead to frequent outbursts and/or physical fights
9. Episodes of stress-related paranoia or dissociation (the sense of being detached from your mind and body) 

Effects

The ways that a person’s life is impacted by BPD can be influenced by several factors, including the type and severity of their symptoms, their access to effective treatment, and the quality of their personal support network. With these caveats in mind, the potential effects of BPD can include:

• Difficulty forming and maintaining healthy friendships
• Problems finding and keeping a job
• Onset or worsening of co-occurring mental illnesses
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Physical injuries due to impulsive behaviors
• Being arrested and jailed due to impulsive behaviors
• Being ostracized or isolated
• Elevated risk of suicide

Highlighting the profound devastation that BPD can cause, an August 2019 study in the journal   reported that the life expectancy of people with this condition may be 14-18 years shorter than among the general population. 

Is Borderline Personality Disorder a Disability?

The symptoms and possible effects described above clearly indicate that BPD can have a negative impact on the substance, quality, and length of a person’s life. But what does this mean from a legal perspective? Is borderline personality disorder a disability?

In the United States, disability may be defined differently depending on context. For today’s post, we’ll focus on two federal contexts: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Passed in 1990, the ADA protects the rights of disabled people in several areas, including employment, purchasing goods and services, and participating in programs managed by state and local governments.

The ADA does not include a list of all conditions that qualify a person for disability coverage. Instead, the law is designed to serve people who: 

• Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
• Have a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission)
• Are perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn)

So is borderline personality disorder a disability according to the ACA? As indicated by the first criteria above, the answer may be yes, depending on the severity of a person’s symptoms and the degree to which they are impaired.

However, the ADA’s protections are not self-enforcing. For example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has information on how to apply for reasonable accommodations in the workplace. 

Social Security Administration (SSA)

The SSA manages two federal-level financial support programs for people who are disabled:

• Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) provides monthly payments to people who cannot work due to blindness or another disability. 
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly funds to people who have few to no resources and are blind, otherwise disabled, or age 65 or above.

Is borderline personality disorder a disability as defined by the Social Security Administration? Yes, it can be, but in addition to proving that their symptoms are severe enough to qualify for SSDI or SSI, a person must also meet additional requirements, such as:

• To receive SSDI payments, a person must have worked for at least five of the past 10 years.
• To receive SSI funds, a person must have less than $2,000 in cash, vehicles, and other resources. For a couple, the resource limit is $3,000.

The process for qualify for either SSDI or SSI can be challenging, but the SSA website contains guidance on applying for both programs.

Find Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder in Atlanta

Though BPD can be highly disruptive, people who receive effective treatment can achieve improved functioning and experience better quality of life.

Time Wellness Georgia offers personalized outpatient care for adults and adolescents who have borderline personality disorder, other mental health concerns, and co-occurring addictions. 

Treatment options at our center in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), an adolescent evening IOP, and virtual (online) care.

To learn more about our programs and services, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.