What symptom combination might indicate borderline personality disorder?

The symptom combination of intense fear of abandonment and recurrent substance abuse aligns well with the diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD). One of the hallmark features of BPD is an overwhelming fear of abandonment, which can lead to frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined separation. This intense emotional instability often results in individuals engaging in various harmful behaviors, including substance abuse, as a coping mechanism to manage their distress or emotional pain.

Substance abuse may serve as a maladaptive strategy to escape intense emotions or to fill a perceived emptiness, which is also characteristic of individuals with BPD. Therefore, this combination exemplifies the core emotional and behavioral patterns associated with the disorder, highlighting the complexity of interpersonal relationships and the risk factors that accompany BPD.