Q: “Can Teenagers Have Borderline Personality Disorder?”
Q: “My son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though we are starting to think that he is showing signs of borderline personality disorder (BPD), too.
Can BPD even be diagnosed in teenagers? If so, what does BPD look like in teens? How can we differentiate BPD symptoms from ADHD?”As noted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), children and adolescents may be diagnosed with a personality disorder (excluding antisocial personality disorder) in the “relatively unusual” cases in which the individual’s maladaptive personality traits are “pervasive, persistent, and unlikely to be limited to a particular developmental stage or another mental disorder.” Additionally, a child or teen must have shown symptoms for at least one year to merit a diagnosis for a personality disorder.So while it’s possible for children and teens to be diagnosed with BPD, it’s also true that some medical circles may think that child and adolescent patients are far too young for a BPD diagnosis.
Part of the reluctance may come from the sheer number of factors that could explain someone’s behaviors and traits — especially in adolescence.
Read more on additudemag.com
