Which disorder is characterized by instability in interpersonal relationships and impulsive behaviors?

Borderline personality disorder is accurately characterized by significant instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions, along with impulsive behaviors. Individuals with this disorder often experience intense and tumultuous relationships marked by idealization and devaluation, leading to chaotic interpersonal dynamics. Impulsivity may manifest in various ways, such as reckless spending, unsafe sexual practices, substance abuse, or self-harm, all of which individuals with this disorder may exhibit in an attempt to cope with emotional distress or fear of abandonment.

The other disorders listed do not encapsulate the core features of interpersonal instability and impulsivity in the way that borderline personality disorder does. Major depressive disorder primarily involves mood disturbances rather than a prominent pattern of instability in relationships or impulsive behaviors. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is recognized for the presence of obsessions and compulsions, focusing more on anxiety and repetitive behaviors than on interpersonal relationships or impulsivity. Post-traumatic stress disorder pertains to symptoms following traumatic events, such as re-experiencing trauma, hyperarousal, and avoidance, but does not primarily involve the patterns of instability and impulsivity that define borderline personality disorder.