BPD episodes are hard to live with when you have the condition. Teens with BPD do not have it easy. Parenting a teen with BPD can be complicated too. BPD episodes can be difficult to manage as a parent of a borderline teenager. I know firsthand because I am in remission from borderline personality disorder after over a decade of mental health treatment. I also have a teen who has many BPD traits (but is still too young to be formally diagnosed), which makes sense because BPD runs in our family.

The following post lays out what I would have wanted done for me, as a teen with BPD, and is what I keep in mind for my son whenever he’s in an intense emotional state of his own. It takes time and patience to get the hang of and things will never be 100%, but these steps work for us. On top of de-escalating intense emotions, they strengthen our relationship and build up my son’s mental wellbeing too.