As someone who was adopted at birth, I have displayed symptoms of BPD for as long as I can remember (not diagnosed, nor am I self-diagnosing). I’ve seen multiple articles about the correlation between adoption and BPD, and was hoping someone could explain it here!
In:
Let’s start with a definition: “Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a mental illness characterized by a long-term pattern of **unstable relationships**, **distorted sense of self**, and **strong emotional reactions.**”
1. When a child is adopted, by definition they have had an **unstable parenting relationship**.
2. An adopted child’s “**self of self**” is necessarily different from how they would have unconsciously defined themselves if raised by their biological parents.
3. Adoption isn’t easy, for the child, the biological parents, or the new guardians. **Strong emotional reactions** are normal in challenging situations, especially from children.
So that’s the ELI5 version: Symptoms of BPD are common in the adoption process, simply because of the nature of adoption. For a more detailed physiological answer, I recommend /r/askscience
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