Tips for Parenting a Child With Borderline Personality Disorder

The teenage years are a tough time emotionally. When kids start going through puberty, their changing hormones can wreak havoc on their moods. This weird emotional time in adolescence can last from puberty through the late teen years.

As the parent of a teenager, you might witness a range of emotions on any given day. They might be happy and singing along with the radio one minute, but soon they’re sad about something that’s going on with a friend. They might waver between being affectionate with you and screaming at you. It can be hard to keep up with the moods of a teenager.

Though teens need to learn to manage their emotions before they reach adulthood, it’s common for them to go through a period of emotional ups and downs. This makes it especially difficult to tell if your child’s behavior is based on typical teenage mood swings or if their behavior is a sign of a more significant mental health problem.

If your teen son’s behavior is reckless or gets him into serious trouble, he might benefit from attending a boarding school for troubled boys. Some teen mental health problems can be treated at home, but some require more decisive intervention.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of many mental health conditions that can cause lifelong problems if left untreated.

What is borderline personality disorder?

Borderline personality disorder is a relatively common disorder characterized by severe mood swings, low impulse control, and shifting self-worth. Teens with BPD tend to fear abandonment, and their behavior can be erratic. Their symptoms can often mimic other mental health problems, so it can be tough to diagnose BPD immediately.

Some common symptoms of BPD in teens include:

Fear of abandonment that leads to antisocial behavior. They might cling too tightly to friendships or be possessive of their friends and family. If they feel like they are being abandoned, they might behave aggressively or retreat.

Lacking a clear sense of self-worth or having a shifting sense of self-worth. They might seem passionate about a certain topic for a little while then shift to something completely different. They might think very highly of themselves for a while, then think they are worthless.<