A client with rapid mood changes and impulsive acts is most likely to have which disorder?

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The presence of rapid mood changes and impulsive actions is most indicative of borderline personality disorder. This condition is characterized by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions. Individuals with this disorder often experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety, which typically last a few hours to a few days. Impulsivity in areas that are potentially self-damaging, such as spending sprees, unsafe sex, substance abuse, and binge eating, is also a hallmark of borderline personality disorder.

In contrast, anxiety disorders often present with excessive worry and fear but do not typically involve the extreme mood swings and impulsivity seen in borderline personality disorder. Bipolar disorder does feature mood changes, but these are usually more structured around episodes of mania and depression that last longer than the fleeting emotions found in borderline personality disorder. Major depressive disorder is characterized primarily by persistent feelings of sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure rather than the impulsivity and instability associated with borderline personality disorder. Thus, the symptoms described in the question align most closely with borderline personality disorder.

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