THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY PRESENTED SYMPTOMS: OVERLAPS WITH THE TRANSGENDER JOURNEY OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION

Abstract

"Transgender youth experience societal stigma, rejection, and other psychosocial stressors associated with the crisis of their gender identity. Due to these struggles, the youth can present with suicidality, mood swings, fear of abandonment, identity disturbances – features that are similar to borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits. We interviewed four transgender youths who were labelled as potentially borderline or were diagnosed with the disorder. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis of qualitative interview data where several important themes emerged. One theme across participants was anger at the mislabeling that slowed the investigation into their transgender concerns and affirmation journey. Another theme was that the BPD label can be helpful at times to externalize symptoms for these youth. All participants acknowledged that the symptoms that match with BPD subsided with gender-affirming treatment and social transition. Findings can inform clinicians about the potential symptom overlap and raise awareness about the both the extreme harm and some good that the label of BPD carries for transgender youth."