Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) share some similarities but are distinct personality disorders.
ASPD
BPD
Both ASPD and BPD can lead to impulsive behaviors that may harm others. The table below outlines some other key symptoms that characterize these disorders:
| ASPD | BPD |
|---|---|
| • deceitfulness • breaking laws • irritability or aggression • disregard for the safety of oneself or others • lack of remorse or guilt | • intense, fast mood changes • intense, unstable relationships • rejection sensitivity • feelings of emptiness or dissociation • self-harming behaviors |
Help is out there
If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:
- Call or text the 988 Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Caring counselors are available to listen and provide free and confidential support 24/7.
- Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor for free and confidential support 24/7.
- Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
- Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.
If you’re not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.
Both ASPD and BPD may start to show during a person’s teenage years, with symptoms persisting or progressing as someone ages.
To diagnose either of these personality disorders, doctors may need to consider the following things:
- personal medical history
- family medical history
- social history, including criminal offences
- history of childhood behavior
- comorbidities, such as substance use disorder
- quality of the person’s relationships with others
During the diagnostic procedure, healthcare professionals will typically assess whether a person matches the criteria for a personality disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).
Both ASPD and BPD are lifelong conditions. If people do not believe their symptoms are a cause for concern, they may not seek a diagnosis themselves. Instead, people may seek help for comorbid conditions, such as mood disorders.
Psychotherapy is a first-line treatment for BPD, and may be helpful for some people with ASPD.
Other treatments may focus on managing co-occurring conditions or effects, such as depression and self-harm.
Anyone who believes they, or someone close to them, may have a personality disorder affecting their quality of life can speak with a healthcare professional for a diagnosis and to learn more about the treatment options available.