For EDs, similar patterns emerge. Based on Linehan’s biosocial theory, individuals may perceive certain emotions as unacceptable to experience. Haslam et al. (2008) examined the relationship between invalidating environments (particularly parental care) and emotional dysregulation in ED patients. They found that higher levels of impulsivity were positively correlated with reports of invalidating environments. Importantly, these environments were more strongly associated with bulimic pathology than with anorexic pathology, aligning with the fact that BN shares more impulsivity-related traits with BPD.

• This evidence suggests that invalidating environments and impulsivity may form a common developmental pathway linking BPD and BN.