Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents: A Complete Guide to Understanding and Coping When Your Adolescent Has Bpd

I am so grateful for Dr. Aguirre's extensive research that went into this book. There is so little on the subject as relates to adolescents, and this is such an important work. I highly recommend it almost daily in my coaching practice. Tami Green [...]

This book is right on the money. I was growing so tired of telling psych professionals, "no....my daughter is not bi-polar". Now I know that they are scared of the taboo of BPD. Now I know how my daughters thoughts and emotions work. Now I know that other people have it harder than I do, SO FAR. This book opened my eyes to a lot. I don't know yet if it will help my little girl, but it has already helped me.

Finding any valid information on BPD in adolescents is close to impossible. We have a 15-yo daughter in a therapeutic boarding school after trying every outpatient treatment available. While our daughter has not engaged in any serious external behaviors, she has lived the last years in a constant state of dysphoria and wild attention-seeking schemes. She's was diagnosed with bi-polar w/psychosis when she was 12 and has since been diagnosed w/BPD as well. Dr. Aguierre's experience in treating adolescents w/BPD provides not only a valid perspective, it also gives very practical advise. This is a must read book!

As a child psychologist, I get very tired of the neo-Freudian mumbo-jumbo that is often associated with this diagnosis. Not only is such an approach not not very effective, but you have to buy all sorts of (ahem) crapola to even start in on it. This book is a real relief. When I got it I assumed it was just more Freudian malarky, but it isn't. Very CBT and DBT oriented, at least in practice, and I highly recommend it.

First, I am NOT advising anyone to replace any treatment with this book. I'd simply like to guide parents who, like us, may have been chasing their tails in search of a proper diagnosis and treatment for your teen to this new source of help and hope. Unlike many mental health care professionals, Dr. Aguirre truly attempts to understand the BPD teen and their families, rather than label and medicate. Last year we spent over 18K on treatment for depression, bipolar and/or PTSD, all the while knowing BPD was her afflication (family history). Only to have our asthmatic honor student move in with the boyfriend, drop out of school, start smoking and get 3 tatoos - last month. Reading this book has changed our lives in a matter of days. Dr. Aguirre really 'gets it' and once I was able to speak that understanding truth with my BPD teen - she lit up! She is impressed with his knowledge of BPD depression sometimes not being anything like classical depression. She says her lows are due to feelings of shame and guilt, "I never have a I can't get outta bed sadness." She also agreed that while she is able to pass advanced English courses and write beautiful stories, she lacks the ability to express her feelings. It felt so good to she her finally feel understood. I know that we still have a long way to go and lots more work to do but this book gave me hope that we are finally headed in the right direction. Thanks Dr. Aguirre!!!