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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a therapist. These are my general thoughts about teenagers and personality disorders.

Personality disorders are not officially diagnosed until adulthood because they require a pattern of behavior that adds up to a disordered way of relating, somehow. Arguably, many teenagers have personality disorders that are developmentally appropriate and resolve when they develop better skills or address other issues. Of course, longterm patterns don't emerge out of nowhere, so it's possible that this therapist is just pointing out potential red flags.

I have always found it really important to help kids understand that relational skills like active listening, empathy, accountability, etc. are things that can be learned. You can also get better at things like self-compassion and self-soothing and appropriate emotional regulation. When they don't develop those skills, toxic relational patterns can become entrenched and toxic. The older people get, the harder it becomes to ask for and receive help with learning skills, and the less likely people are to seek assistance.

Professionally, I'd absolutely recommend DBT work. Some kids get a lot out of peer group therapy for DBT, while others do better with an individual therapy program. Frankly, I wish DBT was taught in schools in like 9th grade so that all kids have the tools. It will never happen, but I think it would be more useful than whatever they're doing in PE in 9th grade.[/quote]

there was just a research study showing that teaching DBT to teens in school leads to worse mental health outcomes …[/quote]

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