How to Best Support a Teen with Borderline Personality Disorder

 

Teens with personality disorders deserve some time to grow before that kind of diagnosis is set in stone. Typically, teens haven't yet grown into their personalities. They haven't yet grown into their minds, bodies, and emotions. Because the brain is still in development during adolescence, there is still a lot to grow into as a teen. However, some teens might begin to show signs of having a personality disorder. 

A personality disorder is considered to be a mental illness in which there are long-lasting unhealthy behaviors, thought patterns, and inner experiences, which seem to hold true across many areas of a person's life. These unhealthy patterns and behaviors often go against the grain of what society is willing to accept. For instance, someone with a personality disorder might be aggressive, intense, socially awkward, self-harming, or overly emotional. The unhealthy patterns of a personality disorder tend to be unchanging or inflexible, bringing about significant distress in a person's life. However, because a teen is still growing, the symptoms that he or she experiences might not be the inflexible patterns of a personality disorder, but rather another psychological illness. 

Nonetheless, there are some teens who already show signs of a personality disorder. For example, Borderline Personality Disorder is an illness that some adolescents are diagnosed with. This illness can come with the following symptoms:

·         Extreme reactions, such as panic, rage, or frantic behavior.

·         A pattern of intense and stormy relationships with family and friends.

·         Swinging from idealizing others to extremely disliking them

·         Avoiding real or imagined abandonment

·         An inability to maintain a stable sense of self

·         Dangerous and impulsive behavior 

·         Self-Harming Behavior

·         Mood Instability

·         Chronically feeling empty

·         Inability to regulate feelings of anger

·         Signs of dissociation with reality

The deep-seated traits in a teen’s behavior is the primary indicator of Borderline Personality Disorder. Symptoms are chronic and typically represent a teen’s baseline. In other words, these symptoms are inherent in a teen’s usual behavior. For instance, a teen with this illness may experience impulsivity, irritability, and aggression may experience these symptoms regularly. Furthermore, teens with this illness tend to have mood swings, as indicated above. However, unlike Bipolar Disorder (classically known as an illness with extreme mood swings), teens with Borderline Personality Disorder experience mood swings that are abrupt, short-lived, and often in response to an external trigger.

To best support a teen with Borderline Personality Disorder, it's best to get them professional support. Therapies, such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, addresses the many difficulties a teen can have. Teens can also learn coping tools, build support networks, learn better relational skills, and boost their self esteem in therapy, all of which can equip them to better face the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. 

If you or someone you know experiences any of the above symptoms, contact a mental health professional assistance. With the right diagnosis, whether it's Borderline Personality Disorder or another illness, a teen can begin to receive proper treatment to address their symptoms.