Supporting Your Adult Loved One’s Journey to Stability

two women clasp hands while sitting across from one another in a professional therapist office setting with a candle burning in the foreground

Every day, countless parents, spouses, family members or friends find themselves on the other end of a phone call, desperately seeking help for their adult loved one. Whether it’s a young adult struggling with the pressures of college or a partner experiencing mental health issues, the challenges can feel insurmountable. As witnesses to their loved ones’ struggles, they are often left grappling with a profound sense of helplessness and frustration. The instinct to provide unwavering support clashes with the reality that their adult child, spouse, family member or friend must chart their own courses.

Why do people with BPD lie?

a young man holds his glasses in front of his chest while he rubs his eyes with the other hand

Lying is a common behavior for folks with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or other emotional dysregulation problems and is often quite distressing for everyone involved. Common approaches, such as trying to get to the bottom of the truth, forcing the person to come clean and admit the lie, or punishing the person, tend to be ineffective…