Does My 2 Year Old Have BPD?

Written by Dr. Leland Heller

QUESTION:

I have a 2 yr old little girl and I think she might have a anger problem. I know it sounds weird for a two yr old to have anger issues but her father has anger problems and he's violent now. My daughter is very defiant and she argues with other children at her day care and she beats them up, scratches their face, punches them, & slaps them. She won't eat. She kicks and screams when I try to put her to bed at night. Now she's only been doing this for about 6 months but she wasn't doing any of this stuff before. I'm really worried about her and the other children.

My question for you is do you this she has BPD or do you think she's just being "two"? If you think she does have BPD what should I do for a two yr old with that?

DR. HELLER'S ANSWER:

The BPD starts at puberty. Your daughter likely has childhood onset bipolar disorder, although just a severe depression is possible.

There's a terrific book on the subject: "The Bipolar Child" by Dr. Papolos.

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