Just how painful is it to live with BPD?

My xgf has it. Theres a wide range for a Diagnosis. But yeah it can be quite crazy. She showed me a song about it to describe it to me and it explained it like her emotions felt like razor blades. She drank alot because she always felt it pain. It would cause disassociation as well from being overwhelmed with emotions all the time. She doesnt understand the concept of love properly and it ends up hurting everyone around her, wich then hurts her and starts the cycle over again.

i know about two people. One is diagnosed but one, i can just tell. they are difficult in relationships but both kind. It's because of the instability that has them behaving this way in relationships and it isnt only that. BPD also significantly impacts self image. I used to find it painful to see them hurt the way they did, mostly because i know there wasnt anything i could do to really help. So yeah, the influence of the symptoms are very pervasive but it is also not easy to be close to those with BPD

A family member was diagnosed with a form of BPD several years ago that manifested in very disturbing ways; and remarkably, with the help of group and individual therapy, medication for a time, and a lot of courageous self-work, has come through it and is as sane as anyone.

I don't have it myself, but have people close to me that do. I am also myself mentally ill (OCD and Depression).

Within any disorder, their are degrees of severity.

Like with my OCD, it's improved a lot that it's now mild to moderate. Mine was at a stage so severe I was almost incapacitated.

I think of it as severe trauma.