The use of dextroamphetamine/amphetamine to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbid with borderline personality disorder: A case report

30–60 % of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) also meet criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, because symptoms of BPD tend to “overshadow” those of ADHD, clinicians frequently fail to diagnose, and therefore treat, comorbid BPD and ADHD (BPD+ADHD) appropriately. Psychostimulants such as dextroamphetamine/amphetamine (AMP) are considered the “gold standard” treatment for ADHD. Because BPD and ADHD share a number of clinical features – deficits in affect regulation, impulsivity, low self-esteem, interpersonal, educational, and occupational dysfunction – the current case report investigates the ability of AMP to mediate these variables in comorbid BPD+ADHD. The literature base on the treatment of BPD+ADHD is significantly limited, warranting the need for the current case report.