Hi, I'm a new member. I'm really glad I found this group. For years now I've thought my daughter could have BPD. It seems like she meets all criteria. She's 23 and has an 18 month old. There are times when we have the best time together but if I accidentally say something that sets her off she goes on and on about it the rest of the day. Little things that aren't really important( at least not to me) set her off and she will become so angry. Since her and the baby's dad separated she goes out and drinks to excess more than she ever has. In a way I feel bad for her because her ex is happy and moved on with his life with a new girlfriend and my daughter still has feelings for him. That combined with the fact he recently served my daughter with custody papers. He lives in a different state and when he has my grandson she parties so much that she hardly comes home. She's always had problems with keeping jobs. She was very manipulative and always picking fights with her child's father which I believe had a lot to do with the separation. I do so much for her and she talks to me horribly. But, like I said previously we do have a lot of good times and I know that she can be a good person. She is a good mom but I worry that if she does have BPD that can't be good for her son to be around. I love her with all of my heart and just want the best for her but I feel like everyday is a crisis and filled with some type of drama. I would like to know what kind of treatment is available to diagnose someone and do they take medicine or just go to therapy?
Hello and welcome! I'm new, as well. I have BPD as does my 20 year old son.
Is she interested in getting help? And could she commit to attending treatment on a regular basis? BPD can cause so much chaos that it is often difficult to follow much of a schedule.
Knowing what I know now, I would start with a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) certified clinician to get right to the heart of the situation and avoid wasting money, time, and energy. If she ends up being diagnosed with something else, DBT has been shown to help other disorders, as well. I take meds and there are many used for the behavioral symptoms associated with BPD.
You can find those certified clinicians at
www.dbt-lbc.org/Also, a wealth of information can be found at
https://behavioraltech.org/about-us/founded-by-marsha/By the way, extreme sensitivity to criticism is very, very common with BPD sufferers...so just keep that in mind when you are communicating. It's possible to build up a tolerance for criticism with counseling, though.
Good for you for studying up on her symptoms! Good luck!
