Treating borderline personality disorder (BPD) in College Students

Navigating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in your youth, teen, or young adult can be tough. You’re not alone. Many families face this challenge, and you can too.
Here’s how to find the right BPD treatment to support your child.

What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)?

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by intense emotional instability, fear of abandonment, and difficulties in maintaining relationships. Teens and young adults with BPD may experience chronic mood swings, impulsive behaviors, and trouble regulating their emotions.
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What are the signs and symptoms of BPD in youth, teens and young adults?

BPD can manifest in several ways that can lead to paranoid thoughts and relationship problems.
Here are some common signs of BPD in adolescents, teens, and young adults:
  • Chronic feelings of emptiness
  • Intense and unstable relationships
  • Fear of being abandoned
  • Impulsive and risky behaviors
  • Eating disorders or Substance abuse
  • Sudden mood swings
  • Difficulty managing emotions
  • Distorted self-image
  • Intense anger and frustration
  • Anxiety and paranoia

How can I help my college student, or young adult deal with BPD?

Mental health professionals are careful about diagnosing BPD in college students and young adults because this phase of life has many natural mood swings. When BPD symptoms worsen and begin to disrupt an adolescent, teen, or young adult’s life, it’s critical to help them find the BPD treatment they need.

Here’s how you can help:
  • Listen and validate:
Create a safe space for your adolescent, teen, or young adult to express their feelings. Acknowledge their emotions without dismissing or judging them.
  • Encourage healthy habits:
Promote regular exercise, a balanced diet, and good sleep. Help your youth, teen, or young adult find the emotional balance they need to support BPD treatment.
  • Seek professional help:
Early intervention can make a significant difference. Find a mental health professional who can help your teen or young adult navigate their BPD treatment.

Borderline personality disorder treatment for youth, teens, and young adults

At School Source Behavioral Health, we understand that every young person’s journey is unique. We offer a range of BPD treatment programs designed to help college students, and young adults manage and overcome Borderline Personality Disorder:
  • Residential treatment centers:
Our residential treatment program for borderline personality disorder provides 24/7 care in a structured environment. This immersive program includes individual and group therapy, holistic activities, and life skills training, helping college students, and young adults develop coping strategies and emotional regulation. Residential treatment is ideal for those needing intensive support and a safe space to focus on recovery.
  • Intensive outpatient programs (IOP):
Our outpatient therapy programs for BPD provide ongoing support with regular therapy sessions. This option is suitable for youth, teens, and young adults who need less intensive care but still require professional guidance to manage BPD symptoms. Outpatient therapy for BPD includes individual counseling, group therapy, and skill-building activities designed to promote long-term recovery and emotional well-being.
  • Outpatient treatment programs:
Our outpatient therapy programs for BPD provide ongoing support with regular therapy sessions. This option is suitable for youth, teens, and young adults who need less intensive care but still require professional guidance to manage BPD symptoms. Outpatient therapy for BPD includes individual counseling, group therapy, and skill-building activities designed to promote long-term recovery and emotional well-being.
All of our BPD treatment programs address both the emotional and behavioral aspects of BPD, offering personalized treatment plans and professional support to promote long-term recovery and emotional well-being.

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment for Teens and Young Adults

BPD is associated with a lack of insight that the dysfunction in one’s personality is the source of their impairment, and thus, a teen or young adult with BPD may be highly resistant to change or may never seek treatment.

This can lead to severe impairment or harmful and impulsive behaviors that place your teenage or young adult child, or even others, in danger. Hospitalization may sometimes be necessary, and outpatient treatment may not be adequate for managing a more serious case of BPD. This disorder requires extensive and intensive treatment to create new and reliable cognitive, emotional and physical patterns. Teen residential treatment would be the best option for pronounced BPD.

A mental health treatment program will use a wide array of treatment elements for BPD. These therapies will be integrated to provide a comprehensive treatment approach for BPD, or for BPD with a co-occurring disorder.

BPD treatment includes:

  • Addiction treatment. If a substance use disorder overlaps with the BPD, it will be addressed alongside mental health treatment. If there is a need for detox, a medically monitored detox will be completed prior to starting treatment.
  • Complementary activities. Some experiential activities can help the teen boy or girl with BPD learn how to regulate their emotions and reduce stress. These might include art and music therapy, guided meditation, massage, mindfulness and yoga.
  • Group therapy. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills training and trying out cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques are an essential focus of group sessions. The small group sessions provide a nurturing, safe space for sharing personal experiences and feelings.
  • Individual psychotherapy. Evidence-based psychotherapies for treating teens and young adults with BPD include CBT, DBT and mentalization-based therapy (MBT).
  • Medication. While there is no specific drug for treating BPD, some medications can assist in reducing symptoms of a coexisting disorder such as anxiety or depression.
  • Trauma therapy. In some cases, BPD coexists with trauma disorder, such as PTSD. To help augment the clinical effects of therapy, the teen may participate in prolonged exposure therapy or eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR).
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Ways to Live With Borderline Personality Disorder

Managing BPD after treatment is critical. Transitioning to day treatment or an outpatient program is an essential next step. Continuing care helps prevent behaviors that pose a danger to your teen or young adult child’s wellbeing.

It is important that your teen or young adult child complies with their ongoing treatment measures. Outpatient activities and healthy lifestyle choices can help support healing and mental stability.

These might include:

  • Healthy diet
  • Holistic therapies
  • Outpatient psychotherapy
  • Regular exercise
  • Support groups

Living with a BPD diagnosis is possible. It comes down to obtaining timely treatment and learning how to effectively manage the symptoms in daily life.

Your healing journey starts here.

Our services provide your family with affordable help, when and where you need it, at the right level of care. We also accept most insurance.
Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how they are changing teens’ lives across the U.S., helping them embrace a fulfilling and purposeful future that is free from anxiety.
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