Which behavior might indicate a patient diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder is feeling anxious?

Excessive reassurance seeking is a behavior commonly associated with individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who are experiencing anxiety. In the context of BPD, individuals often have intense and unstable interpersonal relationships, which can cause significant fear of abandonment or rejection. When feeling anxious, they may seek excessive validation from others to alleviate these fears and reassure themselves of their worth and the stability of their relationships.

This behavior serves as a coping mechanism, where the individual looks to others for affirmation, often fearing that their relationships are fragile or in jeopardy. Consequently, the need for reassurance can increase when they are feeling vulnerable or anxious.

In contrast, while grooming excessively or becoming more introverted may occur in various contexts, they are not specific indicators of anxiety related to BPD and can occur for a range of other reasons. Similarly, attachment to possessions may reflect a sense of stability or a coping strategy for emotional distress, rather than a direct indication of anxiety. Thus, excessive reassurance seeking is the most relevant behavior indicative of anxiety in this particular disorder.