Maternal BPD traits and both maternal and paternal conflict, lack of regard, and lack of involvement predicted offspring BPD traits regardless of the adoptive status, implying environmental transmission.
While BPD has a strong genetic component, that does not necessarily mean that you will develop the condition or pass it down to your children. Genetics may increase the risk, but there are steps you can take to manage your condition and reduce the impact that it has on your loved one.
Current research supports the theory that there is a large genetic component to whether a person develops BPD. Two genes—DPYD and PKP4—have been identified as increasing a person's risk of developing BPD. 4 However, these genes are linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder risk, too.
Children who have mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder not only struggle to manage their emotions and keep healthy relationships, but they are often at risk of developing BPD as well.
Research shows that children whose parents exhibited BPD are prone to disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder), depression, and anxiety. Studies of BPD in families show that the child of someone with BPD is likely to be diagnosed with BPD at some point in their life.
One strong predictor of the disorder is family history. In fact, having a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, child) with BPD puts you at a 5 times greater risk of developing it yourself, according to NAMI. (2) With a first-degree relative, you share an average of 50 percent of your genes.
Suboptimal parenting factors, which have been prospectively linked to personality disorders and BPD features, included hostility, resentment, and hitting/shouting.
As a result, they often fear conflict, try to placate their family, and struggle with a core sense of identity. Parents with BPD may oscillate between being overly attached or involved with their children and being hostile or dismissive. Sometimes, they might present as extraordinarily loving and attentive.
According to the DSM-5, BPD can be diagnosed as early as at 12 years old if symptoms persist for at least one year. However, most diagnoses are made during late adolescence or early adulthood.
Researchers have used MRI to study the brains of people with BPD. MRI scans use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce a detailed image of the inside of the body. The scans revealed that in many people with BPD, 3 parts of the brain were either smaller than expected or had unusual levels of activity.
Borderline personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age.
Borderline personality disorder is one of the most painful mental illnesses since individuals struggling with this disorder are constantly trying to cope with volatile and overwhelming emotions.
In fact, researchers estimate that 50-75% of people with BPD have experienced some form of childhood sexual abuse. This indicates that BPD may develop in response to extreme distress that comes to guide your loved one's experiences of themselves and the world around them.
The children of parents with BPD are at risk of poorer outcomes in terms of their own mental health, educational outcomes and wellbeing. The challenges of being a parent can also exacerbate the symptoms of those with BPD traits.
Some research suggests that the disorder affects females nearly three times more often than males, though other studies have found a minimal difference. While the exact causes of BPD in females are not fully understood yet, research suggests the likely involvement of multiple factors.
People with Borderline Personality Disorder have a reduced life expectancy of some 20 years, attributable largely to physical health maladies, notably cardiovascular. Risk factors include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and smoking.
The symptoms of BPD often start during the teen years. The symptoms can vary from person to person. But people with BPD will have at least 5 of these symptoms over time: A pattern of severe mood changes over hours or days.
Many people with BPD also have gifts of being highly intuitive, passionate, empathic, and creative. Through healing, someone who has had BPD can still reach their potential as a uniquely gifted parent. However, not everyone has the support and resources they need to grow and heal.
People with BPD score low on cognitive empathy but high on emotional empathy. This suggests that they do not easily understand other peoples' perspectives, but their own emotions are very sensitive. This is important because it could align BPD with other neurodiverse conditions.
In most cases, serious difficulties in emotional regulation, or BPD, is a result of two combining factors: Being born with heightened sensitivity and gifted with perceptivity. A deficient or vicarious childhood environment that fails to meet these children's emotional needs.
Separations, disagreements, and rejections—real or perceived—are the most common triggers for symptoms. A person with BPD is highly sensitive to abandonment and being alone, which brings about intense feelings of anger, fear, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, and very impulsive decisions.
People with a history of child abuse, such as childhood sexual abuse, physical neglect, early life stress (such as traumatic events in childhood), and child maltreatment are significantly more likely to develop BPD.
Common BPD Triggers
While triggers will vary from person to person, these are some common ones: Perceived or real abandonment. Rejection of any kind. Loss of a job.