15 year old daughter with suspected BPD

[Bingles]

My adopted daughter is 15 years old and was admitted to a mental health hospital 14 weeks ago following an overdose of Paracetemol. She has been on a cocktail of medications since admission, with no sign of improvement. Her birth father (my husband) and I suspect that she may have emerging BPD. We are struggling to find services in the UK that might be suitable for her when she is discharged from hospital. We are not confident that she will be safe at home, because despite having a loving support network around her, she will not say when she needs help. I would love to hear from other people who may have had similar experiences.

With thanks

Bingles

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

[lbjnltx]

Hi Bingles,

Welcome!  We are glad to have you here looking for ideas on how to support your adopted daughter.  I'm sorry to hear that she is in the hospital due to an overdose, this is so scary for you I'm sure.    Keeping our kids safe from themselves and the dangers they put themselves in is our highest priority and when we aren't able it can push us to our limits of coping.

How are you doing?  Are you able to take care of your needs while trying to help your daughter? 

The medications can help with depression, mood stability, and anxiety. Medications don't  address the belief systems or thinking errors of a young person with BPD, this can be worked on in therapy as well as learning the coping skills she needs to change her thinking, manage her emotions, and re write her belief system.  Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a targeted form of CBT often helpful for sufferers of BPD (especially in addressing suicidal ideation, attempts and self injury).  Is the hospital using DBT in your daughter's treatment program or suggesting it in her follow up treatment after release?

Learning about the core symptoms of BPD and how these manifest into behaviors is the first step in understanding how to respond to them.  Have you learned much about the disorder yet?  Here is some info to review, some of it may be new to you and/or help you gain a deeper understanding:

Lesson 1: Be aware of the emotional limitations of BPD

I look forward to your response and learning how to support you as you look for help for your daughter and your family.

lbjnltx