Adult Children of Borderline Parents

A Trauma-Informed Guide to Recover from a Toxic Childhood and Discover a Healthy Sense of Self

By: Daniel S. Lobel PhD

Narrated by: Dean Gallagher

Did you grow up with a parent who has borderline personality disorder (BPD), or you suspect they did? Was your parent's behavior unpredictable or scary? Did it seem like they were angry one minute and happy the next? Were your basic needs ignored? If so, it wasn't your fault. Children raised by a parent with BPD are subjected to a number of unhealthy and damaging behaviors—from uncontrolled anger and abuse, to gaslighting, blame-shifting, lying, and more. As a result of these experiences, you may have developed feelings of guilt, insecurity, and depression that have lingered throughout your adult life.

This compassionate guide offers a trauma-informed approach to help you recover from your toxic childhood and discover the person you were truly meant to be. You'll learn how to identify emotional and developmental wounds, and discover why interactions with your parents were so harmful to your sense of self. Then, you'll learn to create strong interpersonal boundaries and overcome feelings of guilt, anger, and low self-worth. Finally, through the act of emotional reprocessing, you'll reclaim those aspects of yourself that were lost or distorted by your trauma, so you can restart healthy growth processes and become the person you were meant to be. If you're carrying the hidden wounds of a toxic childhood, you're not alone—and you can heal.

©2025 Daniel S. Lobel, PhD (P)2025 Tantor Media