At Sammy’s last psychiatrist visit, I asked the doctor about Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and whether or not this applied to Sammy. We both agreed that Sammy fits the diagnostic criteria to a tee, but the problem with BPD, is that it isn’t diagnosed until a child turns eighteen. This is because so many of the symptoms can fit with “normal” adolescence.

BPD is often diagnosed alongside, not instead of, Bi-Polar Disorder, but the symptoms vary in significant ways from Bi-Polar.

In BPD, the patient, for lack of a better term, has mood swings that come and go rather rapidly. In Bi-Polar the swings last for a day or longer, while with BPD there can be several swings in one day.

People with BPD view things as black or white. They love you or they hate you, and that can vary several times a day. “Attachments” can be formed immediately, only to have a “break up” later in the day. People with BPD can view someone living on a vacation as a rejection of them, rather than a temporary separation for justifiable reasons. Sammy will have a “girlfriend” one day, then the next day announce that he has “dumped her.” This is an example of the instant attachment and rejection.

Some of the other symptoms include:

Depression – This means clinical depression, not just moodiness or the blues.

Inability to control anger

Suicide attempts or self-mutilation

Impulsivity – This is related to self-destructive behaviors and compulsions or addictions. People with BPD are more likely to abuse drugs, abuse alcohol, have promiscuous sex, eating disorders, or engage in other dangerous and self-destructive behaviors.

You can see where some of these symptoms can be confused with normal adolescence. However, as the psychiatrist and I discussed, you don’t wake up on your eighteenth birthday and “get” BPD. The treatment for BPD and Bi-Polar disorder are similar and many of the same medications are used for both disorders. The common ones are Risperdal, Abilify, Lamictil, Prozac, or other anti-psychotic medications.

One of the websites I visited, BPD Central, has a list that feels as if it was written about my relationship with Sammy. It is under the category “Does someone you love have BPD?” If you feel that someone you know may fall under these criteria, read this list and see how your relationship with that person fits with this list. When I read this list, I had another one of those moments where I felt that someone was sitting in my living room when they wrote the list.

Numerous studies sited on Wikipedia establish a correlation between child hood abuse and BPD.

If you feel that your child may have BPD, or exhibits some of the symptoms, talk to your psychiatrist early. Remember, it is not diagnosed before the age of eighteen, but treatment can begin earlier, and having the discussion early can help you to potentially head off some of the very dangerous behavior associated with this disorder.

National Institute of Mental Health

Mayo Clinic

Photo credit