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This disorder often goes undiagnosed or underdiagnosed. The specialist who can make a diagnosis should only be a psychiatrist, after talking with the person about his medical history and symptoms. If necessary, they may talk to other doctors who assessed the patient’s condition, as well as the patient’s friends or family.
Usually the disease is diagnosed in adults, since both in childhood and adolescence the personality is still being formed. However, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who believes that certain symptoms persist over a longer period of time may also diagnose borderline personality disorder in adolescents.
A full clinical examination is recommended to rule out other diseases that may cause similar symptoms. It is also helpful to know a family history of mental illness, as there may be comorbidities that have symptoms that overlap with those of borderline disorder.
In women, these include depression, anxiety disorders, self-harming behavior, and eating disorders, and in men, substance abuse or antisocial personality disorder.
In the United States, statistics show that 85% of people with borderline personality disorder have co-occurring mental illness. The condition may also be associated with organic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, arthritis, fibromygia.
