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David Foster Wallace and Toxic Self-Consciousness
It was extremely sad to see that David Foster Wallace killed himself last month. He was a talented writer and an excellent observer of the human condition. Apparently, he suffered from major depression and had ceased his medications. Really sad. I was reading an article about him in the current issue of Rolling Stone and found a quote that summarizes my attitudes toward people with BPD’s view of themselves. I’m not saying Wallace had BPD – I really don’t know enough about him to say – but this view of oneself encapsulates the deep feeling of shame that accompanies BPD: There’s good self-consciousness, and then there’s toxic, paralyzing, raped-by-Bedouins self-consciousness.…
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Cheerleading as an effective relationship skill
Unfortunately, the concept of cheerleading is something that I mention in WHINE, but I left out as a tool for a Non-BP/BPD relationship. I mention it when talking about what NOT to do in when a person with BPD is emotionally dysregulated (or experiencing an EDM – emotional dysregulation moment). I am planning on providing a “supplement” to WHINE on this website when I finish working on it. I left out a few things that can be effective in a relationship with someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, and these things have come up in the ATSTP Email Support Group. So, I’ve decided to address one of these, cheerleading, now. Not…
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Another Article about Treatment and BPD from NY Times
I stumbled across this article from 2006 in the Health section of the NY Times regarding treatment and BPD. I think it illustrates that certain treatments can be more traumatic on the patient than others (or no treatment at all). Personally, I think it also could make the case for CBT/DBT (or another behavioral treatment) because those treatments are generally focused on effective skill-building for the here and now, rather than dredging up the past right away, which could cause more trauma to the patient. May 30, 2006 Behavior A Case in Point for the Maxim ‘Do No Harm’ By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D. Everyone knows that talking about your…
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NY Times Article that Mentions BPD
NY Times article mentioning BPD. I’d love to comment, but will have to do so later…. October 21, 2008 Mind When All Else Fails, Blaming the Patient Often Comes Next By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D Doctors and psychotherapists generally don’t like it when their patients don’t get better. But the fact is that lots of patients elude our clinical skill and therapeutic cleverness. That’s often when the trouble starts. I met one such patient not long ago, a man in his early 30s, who had suffered from depression since his teenage years. In six years of psychotherapy, he had been given nearly every antidepressant under the sun, but his mood…
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Experts Argue that BPD should be an Axis I disorder
A short article from About.com regarding an Article in Biological Psychiatry about moving BPD to Axis I: Experts Argue That Borderline Personality Disorder Should Be Shifted to Axis I Thursday October 16, 2008 In a recent paper published in Biological Psychiatry, Dr. Antonia New and her colleagues at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Bronx VA Medical Center argue the case for shifting borderline personality disorder (BPD) from Axis I to Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).In the most current, fourth edition of the DSM, BPD is diagnosed on Axis II, which is reserved for “longstanding disorders,” such as personality disorders. In their…
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Blame, Borderline Personality Disorder, Celebrities, Emotions, Pain, Shame, Substance Abuse, Suicide
Kurt Cobain and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
After learning about BPD and reading a biography of Kurt Cobain, I suspect that, if he was not a borderline, he suffered from a similar disorder. So, here is a detailed analysis of the case for Kurt Cobain having Borderline Personality Disorder. [amazonshowcase_aae6001f3f5766bb5a55f3fb147c3088] Substance Abuse I don’t think I have to cite any references on this one. The bio I read makes it clear that Cobain was a junkie and used consistently. Also, despite his slim frame (5’7″, 130 pounds), he used far more heroin than others in his final days and his body was, for the most part, able to take it. He did overdose numerous times. Abuse of…