Petulant Borderline Mother - Role-Play - 3 Versions - BPD

Borderline personality disorder comes in many forms, and in this video Patrick Teahan, LICSW focuses on one specific presentation: the volatile, petulant type of borderline mother. Through a three-version role play, he shows how a relatively small boundary — a son telling his mother he will need to introduce his new girlfriend to his father first — gets met with an enormous, manipulative reaction when the parent has this presentation.

Patrick plays both roles through three takes of the same conversation: first with the toxic mother reacting with volatility and guilt, then with a healthy mother who can actually hear the news and respond appropriately, and finally with the son in a more empowered version of himself. He is careful to note upfront that this role play depicts one type of BPD out of many and is not meant to sensationalize the diagnosis, pointing viewers to Dr. Ramani and Dr. Grande for broader psychoeducation on cluster B personality disorders.

The video comes with a trigger warning — the manipulation and volatility in the toxic take can be heavy — and is aimed at survivors trying to make sense of growing up with a borderline parent and the kind of everyday interactions that shaped their development.