[pentogen]

Hi guys, it's my first post on PC forums here

I've been suspecting that my girlfriend (15) could have paranoid personality disorder, she's really sweet most of the time, but she does behave in certain odd ways:
- She's extremely conscientious about her academics, and frequently tells me about her dissatisfaction with her results, but she hides these from her class/schoolmates for reasons that are beyond me
- She can't work in a team. Again, for reasons which are beyond me, whenever she has to work in a team (for projects etc.) she never does her part and is unapologetic as far as I can tell
- She's extremely secretive, especially about herself. Most of her friends know very little about her (by that I mean her activities, personality, likes and dislikes etc.). She's more willing to talk to me, but even then she's still pretty secretive (IMO).
- Her mood changes quickly and she is easily pissed off. Talking to her feels like walking on a minefield, she's very quick to get angry at me whenever I say something that she doesn't like, and that would be followed by several hours of "silent treatment" However when she's happy with me she's really sweet and nice to me
- She constantly thinks that boys have crushes on her and do/think of perverted things. She tends to intepret boys' every action and every word as a sign that they have a crush on her (she doesn't like it btw). A boy's random comment on her is taken to be a sign of stalking her, looking at her = they like her etc. She's even went as far as telling me that

Possible trigger:

boys are masturbating to her in class because she saw their hand near their crotch and then saw them looking in her direction.
- She has told me, on many occasions, how she thinks certain people are "retards", "useless" and/or "a**holes", even when some of those people consider her as a friend.

As far as I know, she doesn't know and doesn't think that she has PPD. Our relationship has become a little strained lately after a couple of arguments stemming from her behaviours listed above. I really want to help her if she has PPD, but I don't know how
Any advice on how to approach her to tell her about PPD, and helping her cope afterwards would be greatly appreciated

[Bill3]

A patient has to be at least 18 years old to be diagnosed with a personality disorder.

Does she see a therapist?

[~Christina]

No one here can diagnose of course, sure she could have any number of mental illness .... Or maybe she's just a lousy human being.

Bill is correct a person needs to be 18 to be diagnosed.

Therapy could be very helpful for her, that is if she's willing to actually go to therapy and want to help herself.

Hope you find the answers you seek. Take care

[healingme4me]

If I recall 18 is the standard rule of thumb for personality disorders because teens can by virtue of being teens display a myriad of behaviors that are actually part of their development. Brains aren't actually fully developed until 25, I believe. So these behaviors could be anything but.

I can sense your concern, however and respect such concern as noble.

Of course ups and downs are confusing. Hopefully through maturing alongside this friend you can hone a sense of your own expectations and boundaries as you proceed into adulthood.

[defyinggravity65]

Receiving a diagnosis of a personality disorder requires evaluation and assessments done by a licensed practitioner.
I am in no place to name diagnoses your girlfriend may or may not have...but the symptoms you listed do not sound like PPD to me at all. If anything, those behaviors in adults are probably more associated with the dramatic personality disorders (borderline, histrionic, narcissistic).
BUT, every single one of those behaviors I would consider normal for a 15 year old girl. I'm pretty sure I exhibited all of those behaviors at 15 as well.
Don't be so quick to diagnose. Personality disorders are extremely complex and each requires many criteria to be met in order to reach a diagnosis.
Her brain, as well as your brain, are still developing. Neither of you has grown into your personalities yet, and in my opinion, someone who is that quick to make sweeping generalizations equating someone's behaviors to a personality disorder, is just as much "in the wrong" as the person who is actually exhibiting the behaviors.
I would absolutely not mention PPD to your girlfriend. Sit down with her and talk to her about how the things she has been doing lately are hurting your feelings.

[Crazy Hitch]

Trying to diagnose others off something you might have read off the internet can be dangerous. A common cold could return symptoms of a life threatening disease. We shouldn't "label".

And a lot of what you've listed as so called "symptoms" could merely be how she copes and views the world and absolutely nothing what so ever to do with a personality disorder.