ABSTRACT
Individuals with BPD express intense, poorly modulated affect and have variable moods and irregular energy levels that appear to be only tangentially related to external events. These individuals are caught in the crosscurrents of shame for being dependent, fear of abandonment, and the longing to be assertive. They want to gain approval and affection without having to submit to others. The result is a mercurial and explosive anger that can elicit the rejection they fear (Millon & Grossman, 2007a; Preston, 2006).
