i hate you, don't leave me (avg. bpd experience)
this month (may) is mental health awareness month, and borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of many mental illnesses highlighted this month for awareness :) this list will remain cross-genre to include nf, memoirs, fiction, etc. and recs are, as always, very welcome!! here is a link where you can read more about the disorder
created by nezuu
last updated May, 2026
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some of the fiction books (wuthering heights, looking for alaska, anna karenina) do not explicitly state that characters have bpd. i have included them because a character(s) in the book exhibit symptoms that are generally characteristic of bpd, and the story can therefore be read through such a lens :)
I have a question about Wither Heights. Which character does portray bpd traits?
nezuuOP
personally, i would say catherine shows very strong symptoms of bpd, and i’ve also heard people suggest that heathcliff does too. catherine’s emotional instability, fear of abandonment/rejection, impulsivity, general lack of stability in relationships, etc. all made me feel this way 🙂↕️ while some of it could also be attributed to the context she grew up in, bpd is an illness that frequently triggers after trauma and early experiences with neglect/abandonment so i feel like she still fits the bill
That's a good point! I never thought about it. Thank you for explaining it! You seem so passionate about it. And I appreciated the efforts! Thank you!
nezuuOP
oh of course! i have bpd myself so it’s definitely something that i am very personally invested in haha :) thank you for your kindness 🫶
Some readers diagnose Sherlock Holmes with BPD, what do you think about that?
nezuuOP
oooh tbqh i’ve only read bits and pieces of sherlock as a kid, then watched the show when it came out (benedict cumberbatch my beloved) 🙂↕️ from what i do remember (and if the show’s portrayal of sherlock is faithful to his characterization of sherlock in the books), i personally feel that his character seems to display traits of autism more than anything else. bpd and autism both fall under the umbrella of neurodivergence and do have some overlapping symptoms, but i don’t see bpd when i think of sherlock. again, definitely not the most informed take here since i haven’t read the source material entirely, but i would be curious to hear what parts of sherlock’s character make readers diagnose him that way 👀
