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Borderline Personality Disorder in Teenagers

You may be the parent of a Borderline Personality Disorder teenager. The American Psychiatric Association reports that Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affects about two percent of the population of the United States (while other estimates run as high as 10-14%), and that it is very common among adolescents and young adults.

Sometimes adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder will have additional personality disorders or problems as well. Their reason for initial hospitalization or treatment will usually be for a different psychiatric problem, such as: eating disorders, depression, suicide attempts, addiction problems, or anxiety disorders.

It may be difficult for you, as a parent, to differentiate the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder from normal adolescent behavior.

Signs that a troubled teenager is struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder may include: irritability, dramatic mood swings, and intense anger. Mood swings normally occur in teenagers in response to stressful life situations, especially difficulties in interpersonal relationships or conflict.

Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder will usually have an intense sensitivity to (perceived) rejection or abandonment, responding with explosive anger or with self-injurious or suicidal behavior.

Other symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder include feelings of emptiness or boredom, identity confusion, and/or impulsive behavior (over-spending, risky sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating, etc.).

Teenagers struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder may experience brief stress-related periods of paranoid or irrational thinking, thinking in “black-and-white” terms, and alternating between extremes of idealization (everything is wonderful) and devaluation (everything is terrible).

Borderline Personality Disorder has as many causes as it has people who suffer from it. The disorder may be caused by a combination of a person's parental upbringing, their personality and social development, as well as genetic and biological factors. While the exact cause is not yet known, it is understood that the disorder most often manifests during increased times of stress and interpersonal difficulties in the person's life.

If you suspect that your teenager has Borderline Personality Disorder, don’t expect them to just "snap out of it." It is important to understand that people who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder are not necessarily aware of their behavior, or that they are consciously holding themselves back from correcting their behavior.

If your teenager has Borderline Personality Disorder, they will need treatment for the disorder – both medication and individual psychotherapy (preferably a type called Dialectical Behavior Therapy). There is no cure for Borderline Personality Disorder, but with the right treatment, there is a good chance that your teenager can have a good life in spite of having the disorder.

About the Author

David Oliver is the founder of BorderlineCentral.com a one stop source of information on how to cope and deal with borderline personality disorder.

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