"My purpose is to give information to both help the individual and other readers. I can not, and am not, assuming the role of your physician in any answer I make.

I also do not know your other medical problems and psychiatric diagnoses, which usually have a dramatic effect on medication (and other treatment) recommendations. You must make a medical and treatment plan with your physician and therapist(s).

I frequently recommend some books and tapes to help individuals. Zig Ziglar's tapes are particularly useful ('How to Stay Motivated' - 1-800-527-0306), and in my experience borderlines who listen every day to Ziglar do the best. I receive no monetary compensation for any of these recommendations."

Go to FAQ's about:

1. Diagnosis and General Information
2. Symptoms
3. Genetics, Causes
4. Children
5. Treatment
6. Medications
7. Co-Occurring Disorders
8. Drug and Alcohol Use
9. Friends, Relatives
10. Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Diagnosis and General Information

• What is the BPD?
• How is the BPD diagnosed and can it be diagnosed in children?
• What's the difference between bipolar and the BPD?
• Could my bipolar son be BPD?
• Why is it Called the Borderline Disorder?
• How Can I Be Diagnosed With BPD At 52?
• I Was Just Diagnosed With BPD - What Is It?
• Is BPD Misdiagnosed With Other Illnesses?
• Is There Much Overlap With BPD, Asperger's And Seizures?
• What Is A Mixed Personality Disorder?
• Do All Transsexuals Have BPD?
• Do I have BPD or ADHD?
• Can BPD be diagnosed in adolescence?
• Am I A Borderline Or A Narcissist?
• Are These Diagnoses Permanent?
• Does My Father Have BPD?
• Is My Mother Mentally Ill?
• Can You Answer BPD Questions About A Young Friend?
• Do I Have A Medical BPD Or A Psychological BPD?
• Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, could it be BPD?
• How Do I Discuss My BPD Diagnosis With My Psychiatrist?
• Isn't BPD Just A Misogynist Label For PTSD?
• Is the BPD a character disorder?
• BPD and the Elderly
• I'm not sure if I'm truly a bpd sufferer
  

Symptoms

• Why are borderlines self-destructive?
• What causes self-mutilation and can it be cured?
• Is Perceptual Distortion Part Of The BPD?
• Do borderlines always have all the symptoms?
• Are There Physical Signs Someone Is Lying?
• Is Menopause Making Her BPD Worse?
• What's The Link Between BPD And Temporal Lobe Seizures?
• Can You Stop My Grief, And Is It "Complex PTSD"?
• What Causes BPD Mood Swings?
• Need Information About Sound Processing Problems In BPD
• Can Self-Inflicted Violence Turn Outwards?

Genetics/Causes

• Is it genetic?
• Is it my fault?
• How much of the BPD is genetic?
• Can genetic epilepsy increase the risk of BPD?
• Shouldn't my parents take medicine instead of me?
• Can a Childhood Head Injury Cause the BPD?
• Can PMS Trigger BPD Episodes?
• Can frontal lobe trauma cause the BPD?
• Does ADHD turn into BPD?
• What about pregnancy, genetics and getting older?
• What Does The BPD Mean And Is It Serious?
• Is The BPD A Hormone Or Enzyme Defect?
• Can Staring At A Computer Monitor Cause Dysphoria?
• Can An Adult Rape Cause The BPD?

Children

• What can I do to help my child who has the BPD?
• What can I do to keep my children from getting the BPD?
• Can being raised by a parent with the BPD cause problems?
• Does my 2 year old have BPD?
• Could my daughter have had BPD at age 3?
• Where Do I Go From Here With My Son?
• What Can I Do To Lower My Child's Risk Of Developing BPD?

Treatment

• Is counseling necessary?
• Who can I see to help me with the BPD?
• Drs. & Therapists Who Treat BPDs
• Any techniques for crashing less often?
• What if I can't afford counseling or Ziglar's tapes?
• Do Borderlines Respond To DBT?
• Am I a BPD Who Just Can't Take Antidepressants?
• Can Anything Work? I've Tried Everything
• Is My Daughter On Enough Medication?
• Are shock treatments appropriate for the BPD?
• Is there ever a case where psychotherapy is better than medications?
• What Can Help My Son With Cyclothymia?
• What Can Stop My Rage?
• How Can I Help This BPD Patient?
• What Can Be Done For My ODD Son?
• Are There Tools To Predict BPD Decompensation?
• Can You Completely Recover From The BPD?
• How Do I Tell Her and Can Prayer Help?
• What If My ADD and BPD Aren’t Treated?

Medication

• What medications are successful at treating the BPD, and what about side effects?
• Can Remeron help with sleep?
• Do I have to take pills?
• Do you still recommend Prozac and Tegretol and are there treatment centers?
• Is taking my daughter off Prozac a good idea?
• The Prozac helped, now what?
• What about generic Haldol?
• Can Beta Blockers Like Inderal Help with the BPD?
• How Can I be Sure I Won't Get Serotonin Syndrome?
• What About Trileptal?
• Will Lexapro Make Me Better or Worse?
• Are there any medications that will work for me?
• Could Zoloft make my husband snap?
• How common are sexual problems with Prozac?
• Why Do Some Antipsychotics Cause Weight Gain?
• Is Trileptal And Celexa A Good Combination For BPD?
• Why Am I On Naltrexone?
• Why Do Medications Only Work On Some Of The Symptoms?
• Is Seroquel a good BPD drug?
• Can You Answer Some Questions About Lithium?
• What If BuSpar Makes Me Worse?
• Is All This Medicine Hurting My Liver?
• Is Tegretol Making Me Ill?
• Should A 22 Year Old Still Be Taking Ritalin?
• Should I Quit Wellbutrin When I Take Prozac And Tegretol?
• What Can Be Done About Prozac Eventually Causing Side Effects?
• Can Zoloft Cause Anger?
• What Are The Symptoms Of SSRI Withdrawal?

Co-occurring Disorders

• Are borderlines pathological liars?
• What can be done for pathological liars?
• Can I have both bipolar and the BPD?
• How do you treat ADHD when the BPD or bipolar is present?
• Can You Have Both Bipolar and the BPD?
• Is there a Link Between BPD and Fibromyalgia?
• Can The NPD With BPD Be Successfully Treated?
• How Do You Treat The Combination Of ADHD And BPD?
• Is There A Relationship Between Tricotillomania And BPD?
• What Can Be Done For My Self-Mutilation And Suicide Attempts?
• Could I Have OCPD, ADD and BPD and How Are They Treated?
• Can You Have Both ADD And BPD, And How Can I Prevent Drug Abuse?
• Do you have any information on BPD and Tourettes?

Drug and Alcohol Use

• Can't I take marijuana and be accepted for who I am?
• Why Do You Say Borderlines Are Allergic to Alcohol?
• What are the effects of alcohol on depression and BPD?
• Does Combining Paxil With Alcohol Damage The Brain?
• Does Combining Zoloft With Alcohol Make Their Symptoms Worse?
• Should the BPD or substance abuse be treated first?
• Will Paxil Work If The Person Smokes Marijuana?
• Is It Safe For My Friend To Drink Alcohol While Taking Zoloft?

Friends/Relatives

• How do I inform someone that he/she has the BPD?
• My ex-spouse has the BPD and I'm concerned about its effects on our children?
• How Do I Help My Husband And Protect My Kids?
• How Can I Help My Uncooperative BPD Son?
• Can a Marriage Succeed When One Has the BPD?
• Are Borderlines Unfit Parents?

Living with BPD

• What should I do first?
• What should I do if I have the BPD?
• What legal issues are involved with the BPD?
• Can I be normal with the BPD?
• What's making me feel so miserable?
• I can't find a job that I can hold
• I'm a mess. Is there any hope for me?
• Why Isn't Suicide a Viable Option?
• Can one grow out of the BPD?
• Please Answer Some BPD Questions:
• Should I Give Up?
• Why Is She So Weird?
• What Is Wrong With Her?
• How Does One's Soul Affect Mental Illness?

next: What Should I Do First?