ItsJustMe's comments

Borderline Personality Disorder: Diagnostic criteria - Blog Entry

15 Jan 2007 02:53 PM

Beth, I'd be interested in your opinion on whether it makes any sense to diagnose a teenager with this disorder. I'm not a teenager, nor am I a cutter. I'm an advocate for those who have borderline personality disorder.

I find, too often, that teenagers who cut themselves are saddled with this diagnosis. However, as you noted in your introduction (which I must note is really full of insight), many of the "symptoms" of borderline personality disorder are exhibited in other disorders and in "normal" people. I think that's even more true in teenagers -- they are notably volatile in their behaviors, reckless, moody, random, stressed and angry. And they cycle through these behaviors to be happy again -- often in hours. Normal teenagers (I have three!).

I think the really important thing is that the behavior cannot be called persistent if it is happening in a teenager. What is persistent? A year? A few months? Five years? Few of the teenagers labeled borderline have had the behaviors that long.

I don't mean to discount the problem of self-injury in any way. I think it's incredibly scary and wish there were more understanding of it. I understand from talking to people about it that it is one way to release pain -- among other things. I never cut myself and yet do have borderline personality disorder. (I do/have engaged in other self-destructive behaviors -- don't get me wrong. :)

Anyway, I'm interested in your thoughts. I'll link to you today in my blog, http://findthedialectic.blogspot.com/