Does Angelina Jolie have a Borderline personality disorder? (3 reasons‌)

In this article, we will explain why we believe Angelina Jolie has a borderline personality disorder. We will also discuss symptoms, causes, and treatment methods for BPD. The information on this article will help you understand BPD better.

Does Angelina Jolie have a Borderline personality disorder?

Yes, Angelina Jolie has a borderline personality disorder. She was diagnosed with the disorder back in the 1990s. This was after having volatile and unstable relationships, and promiscuity. Other symptoms included being suicidal and homicidal though it was said she did not have any thoughts of actualizing them. 

Her treatment allowed her to have a normal and long relationship with Brad Pitt. before we delve deeper into her diagnosis, let us look at who Angelina Jolie is.

Who is Angelina Jolie?

Angelina Jolie DCMG is an American actress,filmmaker and humanitarian. Among her many accolades, she has been named the highest paid actress in Hollywood several times. She made her screen debut with her father in 1982, but her acting career started almost 10 years later in the film, Cyborg 2. 

She has starred in many films back then but the movie Tomb Raider (2001) established her as a Holywood actress. Her biggest success comes from her role in Maleficent in 2014. She has also acted as Thena in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Eternals.

Angelina is also know for her humanitarian acts and has received several accolades including Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG). Her advocacy aims at the protection of refugees, women’s right and promotes conservation and education.

Various media platforms have called her the most beautiful woman in the world with others calling her an influential person in the entertainment industry.

Angelina Jolie struggles with borderline personality disorder

The media has been awash with her personal life that is her relationships, marriages and health. She has had a divorce from three actors Jonny Lee Miller, Billy Bob Thornton and Brad Pitt. she has six children with Brad Pit, three of who are adopted.

Her relationships have been a favourite topic in the media and all were short-lived and a bit extreme. When asked about the dissolution of her marriage with Thornton in 2003, she said, “It took me by surprise, too, because overnight, we totally changed. I think one day we had just nothing in common. And it’s scary but … I think it can happen when you get involved and you don’t know yourself yet.”

Her major relationship scandal was when she was accused of causing the divorce of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Although the two denied the allegations, she announced a year later that they were expecting a child together. They started a relationship that lasted for 12 years, got engaged in 2012, got married in 2014, and Jolie filed for a divorce in 2019 citing ‘irreconcilable differences.’

Angelina checked herself into a mental institution in the 1990s due to her homicidal and suicidal tendencies. Many people attributed this to her strained relationship with her father. Her self-harm started when she was a child and she has used motherhood to help her cope with mental health issues.

Angelina’s mother found her too alike to the man who had abandoned her and therefore, rarely gave her care and attention. She was left with babysitters and nannies throughout her life as a teenager and young adult. She also experienced obsessive crushes and drug dependence.

Her father went publicly to talk about the estrangement with her daughter. He said that she had refused to let him see his grandchild and was begging her to let him help with the child. Her father says that Angelina’s ‘mental issues’ started as an infant and blames himself for not establishing a close bond with her.

She can be diagnosed with the personality disorder because she exhibits sufficient symptoms of the diagnostic criteria. They include;

• Unstable relationships.
• Unclear or shifting self-image.
• Impulsive, self-destructive behaviours.
• Self-harm.
• Extreme emotional swings.
• Chronic feelings of emptiness.
• Explosive anger.

• Fear of abandonment
• Feeling suspicious or out of touch with reality.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

BPD (its acronym) is a mental disorder that affects how you feel about yourself and other people. It also causes problems in carrying out normal day-to-day activities. People with BPD have a negative self-image, find it difficult to control emotions, and have a series of unstable relationships.

People with BPD dislike being alone and have an extreme fear of abandonment. However, like Angelina Jolie, their negative traits of irritability, mood swings, and impulsiveness tend to push people away, even those who love you and want to have a meaningful relationship with you. 

The symptoms of BPD start in early adulthood and seem to worsen in young adulthood, however, the symptoms ‌improve with age and one can function normally with BPD.

Signs and symptoms of BPD

The signs and symptoms of BPD include:

Emotional symptoms

The emotional symptoms of BPD include:

• Sorrow
• Shame 
• Terror
• Rage 
• Feelings of sadness and emptiness (long-term)
• Severe mood swings. Some people feel suicidal and then feel better after a few hours. Mood swings vary; some feel better in the morning and some in the evening

Cognitive symptoms

• Having upsetting thoughts, i.e. thinking that you are a terrible person
• Auditory hallucinations. Some people hear voices in their heads telling them to harm themselves.
• Prolonged episodes of hallucinations, I.e. hearing voices and delusions, i.e. believing that your family members want to kill you

The cognitive symptoms of a worsening condition show the need to seek medical help.

Behavioural symptoms

• Self-harm, i.e. cutting yourself with a razor, burning your skin with cigarettes. The symptoms might go to the extreme of trying to commit suicide.
• Engaging in reckless behaviour, i.e. having unprotected sex with strangers, binge drinking and extreme use of drugs, and going on shopping sprees.

3 reasons ‌Angelina Jolie has Borderline Personality Disorder.

Impulsive behaviour

Before getting married to Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie was promiscuous and had a succession of volatile relationships.

Unstable relationships

Angelina Jolie is a famous artist known for her on-screen success. But most people do not know she has a borderline personality disorder. Before her successful marriage to Brad Pitt, she had a succession of volatile relationships, a common symptom for BPD.

Self-harm

Angelina Jolie experienced suicidal and homicidal ideation. She, however, reports she had no plans to actualise them. Suicidal ideations are a major symptom associated with people with a borderline personality disorder. 

Causes of BPD

There is no single cause that can be identified as causing BPD. However, there are factors that predispose you to get BPD. They include;

Genetics

There is a likelihood of BPD genes being passed from one generation to another. Research has shown that if a twin is diagnosed with BPD, there is a likelihood that the other one will have it too. There is no gene for BPD, so these findings should be treated with caution.

Problems with brain development

An MRI showed that people with BPD had a problem with the development of parts of the brain that regulate mood. They include; 

The hippocampus; regulates behaviour and self-control

Amygdala; regulates emotions

Orbitofrontal cortex; involved in planning and decision making

Brain chemicals

Altered levels of the neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, have been linked with depression, aggression and failure to control destructive urges.

Environmental factors

Common environmental factors common in people with BPD include exposure to long-term fear or distress, experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse, parental neglect, and growing up with a family member with a mental illness.

Unresolved fear and anger from childhood can make you put unrealistic expectations on other people, like expecting people to be like a parent to you, expecting others to bully you, idolising others and behaving like others are adults and you are not.

How to cope with borderline personality disorder

Methods to cope with BPD include:

• Learn the grounding techniques that can help you focus on the present and divert your attention from harmful thoughts. Grounding techniques include counting from 0 to 10, 10 to 0, clenching and unclenching your fists, curling and uncurling your toes, or remembering the names of everyone in the room.
• Avoid alcohol and substances abuse as they can destabilize your emotional state
• Listen to calming music when feeling low
• Eat healthy balanced diets
• Practice gratitude. This helps to inspire positivity in life.
• Have sufficient sleep
• Keep in touch with your feelings and emotional states by journaling.
• Keep a positive company that will encourage you.
• Share your feelings and fears with your friends
• Visit your therapist regularly.
• Identify your anger triggers so that you can stop early.
• Engage in physical activities that can divert your mind away from harmful thoughts.
• Take a warm shower when experiencing a borderline episode
• Express yourself through art.

Treatment for BPD

Medication

There is no medication for BPD but medication can be given for the symptoms that manifest, i.e. antipsychotics, antidepressants and anxiolytics

Therapy

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy will help you respond to emotional situations with positive coping mechanisms and with reason and proper judgment. This will reduce seeing things in white and black.

Hospitalization

This is necessary if you are experiencing extreme symptoms like suicidal thoughts and attempts, or hallucinations and delusions that are affecting your daily functioning and relationship with others.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed why we believe Angelina Jolie has a borderline personality disorder. Besides that, we look at the causes, symptoms and treatment for borderline personality disorder. Finally, we provided you with coping strategies for managing the personality disorder.

Frequently asked questions: Angelina Jolie borderline personality disorder

What personality does Angelina Jolie have?

Angelina Jolie is an ESTP personality type.

Is it true that Angelina Jolie has borderline personality disorder?

Yes, she was diagnosed and treated for borderline personality disorder.

Does BPD get better with age?

Borderline personality disorder usually begins in early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age.

Citations

Eve psychosocial and rehabilitation centre. Borderline personality. Eve psychosocial and rehabilitation centre. Retrieved from: https://evecentre.com.my/index.php/blog-evecentre/12-knowledge/73-borderline-personality#:~:text=Angelina%20Jolie%20is%20one%20of,she%20has%20borderline%20personality%20disorder.

NHS. (July 17, 2019). Causes- borderline personality disorder. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/causes/

Salters-Pedneault, K. (November 09, 2021). Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Criteria for Diagnosis. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/borderline-personality-disorder-diagnosis-425174