The Covid 19 pandemic has turned our world upside down. Throughout the world it has not just negatively affected the psychological health of people in general, but also created new challenges for people who are already suffering from mental health disorders. Even though there are feelings of negativity, which is felt by almost everyone, it has been observed that the coronavirus outbreak has uniquely influenced the emotionally vulnerable group. Amongst them are people who are suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). People with BPD tend to have a pervasive pattern of instability in their affect regulation, impulse control, interpersonal relationships, and self-image. Clinical signs and symptoms include emotional dysregulation, impulsive aggressive tendencies, repeated self-harm, and chronic suicidal ideations.

These challenges are unique to human existence and are putting all of humanity to the test. Together we can and we will overcome this, remember you are not alone. During this time, ensure not to lose hope and search for the light and take care of your mental health. “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

Research highlights that individuals with BPD reports higher level of painful emotions not just when stressors occur but also when the symptoms are at rest. Due to their insecure or disorganized attachment with significant people in their lives and adversities of life seen during childhood, there is an activation of the attachment system, making them motivated to seek protection, hyper-responsive to stress and hypersensitive to threat. Pandemic emergencies that have been imposed force people to strictly lessen contacts with significant others which could be critical for borderline patients. As such in times of crisis like this pandemic, symptoms trigger, escalating their feelings of emptiness and abandonment which is worsened by the need to stay indoors and maintain social distance leading to disturbance in their daily activities.

Besides, it has been observed that borderline patients suffer from rejection sensitivity and paranoid preoccupations under conditions of stress, and in this sense, the lockdown rules may be particularly exhausting for these patients. They may also have negative feelings about themselves and others, leading to conflicts in interpersonal relationship, as they misinterpret social distance in terms of abandonment or disinterest in maintaining relationships. Few studies have also suggested that individuals with BPD felt isolated even if surrounded by family members and fearful when their neighbors and friends could not reach out to them.

To sum up, the pandemic seems to have produced various mental health issues which has both short term and long-term implications. When it comes to people suffering from BPD, research studies need to focus on exploring and understanding the functioning and internal processes associated with the disorder during this pandemic. Treatment should emphasize on the importance of strengthening an emotional neutral zone between one’s baseline and the emotional roller coaster that is seen to escalate when interpersonal contact is restricted as in the case of this pandemic.