Which disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings and impulsive behavior?

Prepare for the Rosh Psychiatry Board Exam with detailed flashcards and multiple choice questions complete with explanations. Enhance your readiness to excel!

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by significant mood swings, emotional instability, and impulsive behavior. Individuals with BPD often experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that may last from a few hours to a few days. These mood swings can lead to difficulty in maintaining stable relationships and can trigger impulsive actions, such as spending sprees, substance abuse, or self-harm.

The impulsivity seen in BPD is often a response to emotional stress and is not confined to just one area; it can manifest in various aspects of life, such as relationships, work, and self-image. This disorder is also characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, as well as marked impulsivity that begins in early adulthood and is present in various contexts.

In contrast, the other conditions listed, such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, do not primarily focus on the combination of extreme mood swings and impulsive behaviors as defining features. Schizophrenia involves symptoms like delusions and hallucinations, major depressive disorder primarily focuses on persistent low mood without the extreme mood changes typical of BPD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy