QUESTION:

As an adoption worker in Montana, I often work with families who are raising children of parents with BPD. I read on your site that there is a 50% chance of inheriting BPD. Is this mediated somewhat by the child not being raised in a home with a parent with BPD? Currently one family has an infant whose maternal grandmother and birth mother have BPD and the birth father shows symptoms. I had once thought BPD was an experiential disorder, and now see that new research brings us to seizure disorder...what can I tell adoptive families that are raising children removed from BPD parents?

DR. HELLER'S ANSWER:

In the strongest terms possible I recommend three things:

1. get all the child's diagnoses made and treated over time, particularly anxiety disorders and attention deficit disorder. The link between untreated ADD and BPD is phenomenal.
2. the adoptive parents need all their diagnoses made and treated so their problems don't hurt the child.
3. the parents need to learn everything they can about being a great couple and great parents.

This combination is the best "prevention" against the BPD.

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