Discovering that your child has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder can be a life-altering experience. While you might feel relieved to finally have a name for the behaviors that your child has been exhibiting, you also face a long road ahead filled with guess-and-check treatment techniques that can affect the whole family. However, borderline personality disorder is highly treatable, and the mood swings will gradually fade over time.
Instructions
1. Understand that borderline personality disorder requires a diagnosis by a psychiatrist or psychologist. It is characterized by unstable interpersonal relationships, intense and often dynamic mood swings, dissociative behavior, paranoia, difficulty controlling rage, suicidal tendencies, and destructive behavior that is usually impulsive.
2. Enroll your child in therapy with a qualified mental health professional who has experience treating borderline personality disorder. The therapist should specialize in children and have a long track record of success with patients, but it is equally important that your child feel comfortable with his psychologist or psychiatrist. It may take several tries before you find the right one.
3. Inform teachers and other adults with whom your child has regular contact, including family members. It might be difficult to overcome the social stigmas involving mental illness, but it is crucial for your child's safety as well as the safety of others that you disclose this information. Borderline personality disorder can cause both internally and externally destructive behavior.
4. Encourage your child to express herself regardless of the circumstances. Children with borderline personality disorder often internalize their feelings, resulting in a build-up of anger and frustration that can materialize through suicide attempts and self-mutilation. If your child seems to be distressed, sit down, and insist upon talking about it.
5. Supervise the taking of medication ordered by your child's therapist. Some children will avoid taking their medication because they don't want to feel different from their peers, and may go to great lengths to fool you into thinking they have taken it. It is better for everyone if you watch your child swallow their medicine every day.
6. Watch your child for side effects of antidepressant medication. These drugs often produce negative side effects that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cold sweats, headaches, and nosebleeds. If your child is having a difficult time with a certain medication, talk to his therapist about changing it.
7. Maintain a journal of daily experiences with your child. Borderline personality disorder is observed more easily by family members than by therapists, and you will be a key component in her recovery. Write about changes in behavior, good days and bad days, then share the journal with her therapist.
8. Consider family therapy. Often, the parents of children with borderline personality disorder need an outlet for their own emotions, and family therapy can be used as a tool alongside your child's individual therapy. This will allow all family members, including siblings, to express their feelings openly and without fear of judgment.
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