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Reorienting a Depressed Patient to Address Underlying BPD
Undesirable living situations and/or failures to achieve what you expect of yourself exacerbate and prolong depression. Reorienting a Depressed Patient to Address Underlying BPD John Gunderson, M.D. October 08, 2013 DOI: 10.1176/appi.pn.2013.11a23 A 22-year-old African-American male named Morris was referred to me by Dr. Henri. Morris was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) after a nonlethal overdose had led to an ER visit. This event occurred after several years in which his “treatment-resistant” depression had persisted despite many medication trials. Neatly dressed in black jeans and shirt, he seemed wary and perhaps, I thought, a bit frightened when he arrived. While we were in the waiting room, his worried overweight…
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From the NY Times: Sharp Rise in Women’s Deaths From Overdose of Painkillers
More women now die of overdoses from pain pills like OxyContin than from cervical cancer or homicide. Sharp Rise in Women’s Deaths From Overdose of Painkillers By SABRINA TAVERNISE Published: July 2, 2013 PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Prescription pain pill addiction was originally seen as a man’s problem, a national epidemic that began among workers doing backbreaking labor in the coal mines and factories of Appalachia. But a new analysis of federal data has found that deaths in recent years have been rising far faster among women, quintupling since 1999. More women now die of overdoses from pain pills like OxyContin than from cervical cancer or homicide. And though more men…
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When it’s all about your feelings and what you can do
Participate in a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group, where one is taught the four effective stress-reducing skills of distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. You will learn to cope better. Vital Signs: It is all about me, actually (link) By CLAIRE HUTCHINSON AND TIMOTHY CAMPBELL Let’s face it: We all get stressed sometimes, but why does stress seem to affect some people more than others? Would you say that: » Others know what they are doing and you feel like you don’t? » Others don’t seem to be bothered by life’s little “zings?” » Others are moving toward something positive or away from something negative and you are…
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How 3 Days in The Psych Ward Saved My Life
I had been insecure about the way I looked at 20; now that I was pushing 40, I could only imagine how my slow physical decline would impact my already fragile self-esteem. I was scared—really scared. I had my addiction under control (as under control as I could have it) but my borderline personality disorder, my body dysmorphic disorder and my depression were taking a toll. An article by Amy Dresner from AlterNet: How 3 Days in The Psych Ward Saved My Life I had three-and-a-half years sober when I tried to kill myself by overdosing on Phenobarbital. It was the 4th of July and I’d joke later that I…
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Anxiety sensitivity and borderline personality disorder
Anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of becoming anxious, has been indicated as a factor in the occurrence of panic attacks for a long time. It is believed that many panic attacks are caused or intensified by the fear of anxiety, a self-perpetuating cycle that can eventually leave the sufferer house-bound in an effort to control their environment. New research indicates that anxiety sensitivity may also be indicated as a factor in the development of borderline personality disorder, or BPD. If this is the case, there may be new hope for treating this severe and destructive personality disorder. Anxiety sensitivity and borderline personality disorder: a newfound sympathy? (link) Anxiety sensitivity, or…
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Buprenorphine for BPD?
This is an excellent blog post with a letter included from an ex-addict suffering from BPD. I’ve written about opiod issues and borderline personality disorder before. The thing that struck me about this article was this line: “The opioid made me feel unlike I had ever felt– like I was “normal” in a way, and happy, which was unusual for me.” My wife has reported exactly the same thing. She doesn’t feel “normal” or “happy” (typically) without a small dose of opiates in her system. She reports that they make her feel “normal”. However, she doesn’t take them often, because she understands the danger of addiction. Anyhow, here is the…