Q. Our 9 year old son exhibits many behaviors common with BPD, impulsivity, anxiety, explosive outburst, fear of abandonment. How would we go about getting a positive diagnosis? We have worked with several professionals and all we are told is to make up a behavior plan or give him so many drugs he can't stay awake during the day. can you give us any suggestions on how to proceed to get him the help we think he needs?

  A. There are many other things he can have besides BPD. First and foremost, go to a good psychiatrist to make a diagnosis. If the treatment plan works, stick with it. If not, get another opinion. Most of the medications should not sedate him during the day, or they are not really the right medications. Doping up someone, especially a kid, should be one of the last options, if it is even considered to be an option.