<p>A kid can suffer quietly from one of these for years and interpret the symptoms as something caused by the environment rather than something triggered by the environment (there is an important difference).</p>
<p>this is very true. I know someone who had a serious breakdown while in college…couldn’t attend classes, couldn’t get out of bed, couldn’t even drive himself, etc. I asked what caused it, he said, “my brother was at my college and he transferred to another school.” (the two brothers were at a college that they commuted to from home). What? I knew that that couldn’t “cause” a serious breakdown…afterall, students lose parents/siblings/friends to death while in college w/o having serious mental breakdowns, and this person becomes completely incapacitated and breaks down when his sibling transfers to another school??? Turns out the person was later Dx’d with Major Mood Depression, Anxiety, and two personality disorders (NPD/BPD)</p>