Borderline personality disorder: an overview of history, diagnosis and treatment in adolescents.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a cluster B personality disorder. It is characterized by erratic behaviors, emotional instability and one of its hallmarks is self injurious behavior, which starts in adolescence. Patients with BPD are difficult to treat, most have a history of child sexual abuse, about a quarter present with sexual abuse from a caretaker. Although personality disorders are diagnosed only in adults, BPD manifests itself in adolescence in the form of uncontrollable anger, self mutilations, dissociation and other such behaviors. Hence, there is a growing number of scientists discussing the possibility of diagnosing BPD in adolescents. Here, we give an overview of the history and development of BPD in general; and in the adolescent population in particular. We also touch upon pharmacological and clinical interventions available for patients being diagnosed and/or possessing traits of BPD.