I'm scared

[Parents! Get help here!]

I was just told yesterday, by my 14 year old daughters counselor, that she seems to have borderline personality disorder.  I feel so alone.  I need to know she will be alright.  She has been cutting herself, and has thoughts of suicide.  I have been on the phone for the past 2 hours trying to find a psychiatrist to help.  So far, everyone I  have spoken to, will not take her unless she switches to one of the counselors in their practice.  We have been seeing our counselor for the past 2 months.  Both myself and my daughter really like this counselor, and can relate to her.  I don't want to switch counselors.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me? 

[forspec]

I was just told yesterday, by my 14 year old daughters counselor, that she seems to have borderline personality disorder.  I feel so alone.  I need to know she will be alright.  She has been cutting herself, and has thoughts of suicide.  I have been on the phone for the past 2 hours trying to find a psychiatrist to help.  So far, everyone I  have spoken to, will not take her unless she switches to one of the counselors in their practice.  We have been seeing our counselor for the past 2 months.  Both myself and my daughter really like this counselor, and can relate to her.  I don't want to switch counselors.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me? 

Our objective is to better understand the struggles our child faces and to learn the skills to improve our relationship and provide a supportive environment and also improve on our own emotional responses, attitudes and effectiveness as a family leaders

[clljhns]

Hi forspec and  ,


I can only imagine how frightened you are at the thought of your daughter being diagnosed with BPD. You state that you want her to see a psychiatrist. I am not sure why you want her to see a psychiatrist. Do you feel that she could use medication to help? Is there not a psychiatrist that her counselor can recommend? Typically, psychiatrist only prescribe medication, and see their patients for a very time a few times a month, or just once a month. If you are comfortable with her counselor, and confident in her capabilities, I am not sure that a psychiatrist will provide the help you are seeking. You also might want to read the articles on her about dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). From what I have read, this can  be a very effective method of treating BPD, if the pwBPD wants the help. Does your daughter understand her diagnosis and does she want to get help?

I hope this is helpful and please visit the board on parenting a child with BPD: https://bpdfamily.com/message_board/index.php?board=4.0. Here you will find many people understand what you are going through and much support.

Peace and blessings. 

[lever.]

Hello forspec  

I can't answer your specific inquiry as things are different in different countries and areas-however I can assure you that you are not alone.

It is very frightening to be dealing with a teenager who is talking about suicidal thoughts and when a therapist first mentions BPD it can throw up all sorts of fears for the future.

The good news is that you are looking for help early. Yur daughter is very young-her personality is still forming and there is much that you can do to help her.

I hope that you will follow this link to Parenting a son or daughter suffering from BPD board

There is a lot of information on the parents board to help you understand more about this disorder and help both your daughter and yourself.

There will be others there who have had similar experiences to yourself and may well be able to answer your question about therapy too.

[Rapt Reader]

Hello, forspec, & I'd like to join clljhns and lever in welcoming you to this site. I'm so sorry for what your family is going through, and I'm wondering if you've found a Psychiatrist, Therapist or Counselor for your daughter yet?

Please continue to read this site, and give us an update on how things are going... .We'd really love to help you 

[tristesse]

Hello forspec, i'd like to join the others in saying welcome.

BPD is very scary, so I understand your concerns. I want to reassure you, this diagnosis is not a life sentence, there is help and hope. People can and do recover from this illness.

Education is going to be your best friend, and there are lots of opportunities to become more aware right here on this site. The lessons and tools on this board are quite helpful, and we are all here to answer questions and give advice when young need it. Hang in there and keep us updated on your daughters progress.

[MammaMia]

Tristesse

I am still not sure the word "recover" is accurate when it comes to BPD. Things can get better through hard work by pwBPD and family members: usually this requires a combination of being diagnosed and accepting the disorder, followed by learning how to manage the symptoms and triggers, and/or adapting to living around BPD.  

The degree of BPD also has a major impact on not only the pwBPD but everyone around them.  High-functioning pwBPD can live fairly good lives, however, those with severe disorders are not so fortunate.  

While there is always hope, BPD is a very unpredictable mental illness.  

[SlyQQ]

any history of mental unwellness thyroid disorder or autism aspergers in the family or possibly head trauma for your daughter