A Woman Who Contacted Her Boyfriend Over 100 Times a Day... It Was a 'Disorder,' Not Obsession

Unstable Interpersonal Relationships in Borderline Personality Disorder
Occurs in 1 out of 10,000 People Domestically

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A Chinese woman, who was unusually obsessive to the point of attempting to call her lover 100 times a day, was diagnosed with 'borderline personality disorder.' Patients with this disorder often experience unstable interpersonal relationships and severe emotional fluctuations.

On the 20th (local time), Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlighted the story of Xiao Yu (18), a female university student from Sichuan Province, China. After starting a relationship, Xiao Yu began to show signs of dependency on her boyfriend.

She constantly asked about her boyfriend's current location and checked day and night whether he had replied to her text messages. Her obsession was so severe that she attempted video calls dozens of times daily. On one occasion, she reportedly contacted him over 100 times in a single day.

Her boyfriend, exhausted by Xiao Yu's behavior, began to distance himself from her at some point. Eventually, Xiao Yu became angry and threw household furniture and appliances. When her anger reached a dangerous level, her boyfriend reported the situation to the police, and Xiao Yu was taken to the hospital.

At the hospital, she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, a condition known in China as 'Love Brain.' Patients with this disorder suffer from severe emotional instability, leading to unstable interpersonal relationships, impulsive, and self-destructive behaviors. A key characteristic is an excessive obsession with the fear of 'being abandoned.'

The causes of borderline personality disorder are known to be diverse. Environmental, genetic, and biological factors can all influence its onset. However, a significant number of patients share experiences of childhood abuse.

The doctor who diagnosed Xiao Yu did not disclose the direct cause of her borderline personality disorder. However, he stated, "It often occurs in individuals who did not have a healthy relationship with their parents during childhood."

In South Korea, a team led by Professor Seok Jeong-ho of the Department of Psychiatry at Gangnam Severance Hospital estimated the number of patients using the National Health Insurance Service database. According to Professor Seok's research, one out of every 10,000 people in the country is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and is undergoing treatment.

The number of patients is steadily increasing. The number of patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in South Korea rose by 20%, from 3,756 in 2010 to 4,538 in 2019. The prevalence among male patients showed little change, from 0.81 per 10,000 in 2010 to 0.80 in 2019. However, the prevalence among female patients increased from 1.12 to 1.32 during the same period. The age group with the highest prevalence of this disorder is people in their 20s.