QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I have BPD (although my official diagnosis remains bipolar disorder). I am 30 years old, and have spent the last 10 years of my life on a journey of discovery into the hell of mental illness, and the relief of recovery. The first 20 twenty years was spent in the hell of mental illness (both mine and my mother's). I just wasn't aware that that was the problem.
I am interested in your connections between the onset of puberty and BPD. I myself came to that conclusion through personal research into brain chemistry and endocrinology. Is there anything nutritionally or otherwise that can be done prior to puberty that can prevent or lessen the severity of symptoms at puberty or is it all damage control?
I am a single mother of a six-year old girl and absolutely agree with your recommendations to parents (treat your illness, be a good example, affirmations, etc.). I overhauled my treatment plan in '98, and have been fine-tuning it since (under supervision of course). I have tried to instill healthy habits in my daughter to offset the turbulent early years she had with me. Surprisingly, she seems well-adjusted socially, academically, and is a very positive, resilient girl.
My concern and interest is in prevention. She most likely has a genetic predisposition, but only time will tell if she too will exhibit symptoms. Is there anything specific that you have discovered regarding the connection between the hormones released at puberty and the specific effects these have on brain chemistry? Does anyone know the specifics of cause and effect here, or is it still speculation?
Nutrition and attention to health have helped me immensely. Dr. Linehan's Dialectical Behavior Therapy was, and still is, a lifesaver for me. I currently take Prozac, multivitamins with high levels of all B vitamins, fish oils with omega 3, omega 6, and omega 9, 2100 mg of calcium daily and natural progesterone. No caffeine, limited preservatives, filtered water, no refined sugars, and so on and so on. Regular patterns for sleep and eating, lots of routine to create stability.
My daughter follows a similar nutrition program, (less calcium, no progesterone or Prozac, age-appropriate multivitamins and no fish oil at present). I would like to give my daughter the best opportunities for mental health that I possibly can. Any information you might provide would be very helpful.
Thank you.
DR. HELLER'S ANSWER:
First of all, my strongest congratulations and admiration for what you're doing.
The limbic system goes into "hyperdrive" at puberty, so any damage to that area will show up at puberty. I believe this is why the BPD starts at puberty. There's significant scientific evidence about what happens to the brain at puberty, and this may be of assistance to you. Additionally an instinct develops at adolescence that gives the individual the confidence he/she needs to start a new tribe: a) They believe nothing can harm them, b) they believe they already know everything they need to know to succeed, and c) there's nothing more to learn from the adults at home.
There are two things I'd strongly recommend:
1) Do affirmation, positive and spiritual reading with her every night.
2) Get her medically treated mental health diagnoses treated now, particularly ADHD. The inattention type is more common in girls. ADHD and the BPD are approximately 50/50. I'd also look for other diagnoses such as the generalized anxiety disorder. The screening test I use for my patients could be of enormous help. I often have both parents fill the test out for themselves to give clues regarding a child's diagnoses.
next: Self-Mutilating 4 yr. Old (No BPD) ~ back to: Borderline Personality Disorder FAQs Table of Contents
|
