In one part of the book “Lost In The Mirror”, Dr. Richard A. Moskovitz, M.D. writes, “Elton John’s characterization of Marilyn Monroe as a candle in the wind captures the essence of the borderline personality. She is an elusive character lacking in identity, overwhelmed by a barrage of painful emotions, consumed by hunger for love and acceptance, and careening from relationship to relationship and impulse to impulse in a desperate attempt to control these feelings.”

See larger image Lost in the Mirror: An Inside Look at Borderline Personality Disorder (Paperback) By (author) Richard Moskovitz List Price: $13.95 USD New From: $6.50 In Stock Used from: $1.35 In Stock

Related posts:

1. Megan Fox and Borderline Personality Disorder Reexamined
2. Charlie Sheen and Borderline Personality Disorder

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Sautner disagreed with the recommendation Wednesday, saying she didn’t think Lohan had a substance abuse problem.

“She has other problems, which she self-medicates,” the judge said.

I wonder what those “other problems” are? Perhaps you can check here for more information on the behavior of Lindsay Lohan.

Here’s the full text of the article:

Lindsay Lohan says she’s glad theft case resolved

LOS ANGELES – A lawyer entered a no contest plea Wednesday for Lindsay Lohan in the theft of a necklace, setting the stage for a summer of confinement, counseling and community service.

Defense attorney Shawn Holley made the plea for the actress, who did not appear in court in the misdemeanor case involving a $2,500 necklace taken from an upscale shop in the Venice area of Los Angeles.

Lohan, 24, did not acknowledge guilt through the plea, but the court will log the case as a conviction.

She said later in the day in a written statement that she was glad to put the case behind her and has already started her 300 hours of community service at a shelter for women.

“I hope to be able to fulfill my obligation without any press attention,” Lohan said. “I think the media spotlight should be on issues such as homelessness and domestic violence instead of on me.”

Lohan did not have to attend the hearing because she was facing a misdemeanor charge.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ordered Lohan to serve a 120-day jail sentence and remain on probation in a 2007 drunken driving case while she completes a total of 480 hours of community service and undergoes psychological counseling.

Along with the women’s shelter, she will do 120 hours of community service at the coroner’s office, with the remainder to be decided.

The judge ordered the additional counseling after reviewing a probation report that showed Lohan tested positive for alcohol in February, a little more than a month after she was released from rehab.

The report also said authorities found evidence the actress had been drinking in December while receiving treatment at the Betty Ford Center.

Lohan had been sent to Betty Ford for three months of treatment last year after failing a drug screen. The report indicated she had tested positive for cocaine and amphetamines during the court-mandated drug test in September.

A rehab worker at the center accused Lohan of pushing her during a confrontation over curfew in December. Lohan was not charged in the case, but police investigated claims she and some companions from rehab were drinking.

“The police report also noted that interviews with restaurant employees, hotel employees, and nightclub employees support the statements that (Lohan) drank alcohol on the night of the disturbance,” the probation report states.

Holley did not return an email message seeking comment on the probation report.

A probation officer stated in the report that despite the tests, Lohan appeared to be making progress with her treatment and should receive continued substance abuse counseling.

Sautner disagreed with the recommendation Wednesday, saying she didn’t think Lohan had a substance abuse problem.

“She has other problems, which she self-medicates,” the judge said.

In addition to counseling, community service and jail sentence, Lohan will have to complete an anti-shoplifting class.

The “Mean Girls” star was expected to serve only a fraction of the jail time due to jail overcrowding. She might be eligible for house arrest, but that decision won’t be made until Lohan reports for jail on or before June 17.

If she is given house arrest, the judge said she cannot work on her community service at the same time.

“She is neither requesting nor receiving special treatment,” Holley said after the hearing.

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore agreed, saying Lohan has been treated the same as other nonviolent offenders.

Lohan has been cast to play the wife of John Gotti Jr. in a biopic of the infamous mob family titled “Gotti: Three Generations.” The film is scheduled to film later this year in New York, and several factors could keep Lohan’s case from interfering with work on the film.

Lohan’s lack of a serious criminal record, and the misdemeanor status of her other cases, have resulted in three jails stints that ranged from 84 minutes to a few hours.

Her longest stay was 14 days after another judge sentenced her to three months in jail. The reduced time behind bars was due to jail overcrowding and state-mandated credits for time-served.

Lohan was released after a few hours on April 22 because her attorney indicated she would appeal the four-month jail sentence for her probation violation. She dropped the appeal as part of Wednesday’s plea.

The theft of the necklace came roughly three weeks after Lohan was released from Betty Ford, and while she was still on probation for the drunken driving case.

Despite living nearby, authorities said Lohan never tried to return the necklace until it was reported stolen and police obtained a search warrant. Her assistant delivered the necklace to detectives before the warrant could be served.

—

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/celebritydocket

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY AP Entertainment Writer
2011-05-11T21:16:39+0000 GMT

Related posts:

1. A Classic Case of BPD
2. Fox News Mental Health Guy Gets It Wrong on Lindsay Lohan
3. Why would Lindsay Lohan shoplift?

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Does Charlie Sheen have BPD?

Alright, I have to admit it, I’m fascinated – as I’m sure many of you are - watching Charlie Sheen and his “meltdown”. I’m fascinated, yet sickened because he seems to be having a mental health crisis right before our collective eyes. The question is: what are the mental health issues? Since I am not a doctor, nor have I ever met Charlie Sheen, I’m not qualified to diagnose him with anything. I have meet a lot of people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and their families and friends. I have watched first-hand what BPD can do to a person and a family.

Yet, I’m not at all convinced that Charlie Sheen has BPD. Some online analyses have pointed to BPD for Charlie, but thus far his behavior doesn’t seem to support that. Sure, he’s impulsive and seemingly either manic or hypo-manic. Hypo-mania can certainly be a feature of BPD. In my experience, this hypo-mania usually comes along with drug abuse (active) when the person with BPD takes medications or drugs that interferes with their impulse control. They think of something and do it without thinking about the consequences. Certainly, Charlie Sheen’s doing that right now. Except with BPD, the “mania” (or hypo-mania) typically only lasts a few hours or (at most) a couple of days. Charlie Sheen seems to be in an extended manic episode and it is not drug-fueled (if we are to believe his drug tests). This type of mania is more common in Biploar Disorder (either bipolar I or II).

He also seems to have lost touch with reality at some level. This disassociating can also be a feature of BPD, as well as other disorders. See his “Charlie’s Korner” episode 4 for that seeming losing touch with reality.

One thing I did notice about Charlie Sheen and his current rantings is that he seems fixated on judgment of him from others. This feature is one that is very common with BPD, although it’s probably common with other disorders as well. He seems to have set up an “us (or me, the warlock) versus them (the trolls)” mentality which is also very common (black and white thinking) in BPD. Yet, the shame and self-image issues seem to not be there (at least as far as we can see at this point).

Anyway, I guess the jury’s still out on Charlie Sheen. I hope that he will goes to get a professional mental health evaluation and take care of whatever mental or behavioral problems he’s experiencing.

Related posts:

1. Princess Di and Borderline Personality Disorder
2. New for May – Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
3. Megan Fox and Borderline Personality Disorder Reexamined

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Lindsay Lohan and BPD?

I read an article today about Lindsay Lohan from Fox News’ Dr. Keith Albow entitled “What Lindsay Lohan’s Parents Stole From Her”. While I can certainly understand Dr. Albow’s point at some level (although mostly I believe it was to attract readers to Fox with a catchy title about Lindsay Lohan’s situation), I have a problem with Dr. Albow’s analysis of Ms. Lohan’s parents. My problem has several facets to it, so you’ll have to bear with me as I go through them. The first part of my problem has to do with the “blaming the parents” aspect of mental health care and the attitude of mental health care professionals. When you take a child with possible BPD or with behavioral issues like Ms. Lohan has reportedly experienced (those include possible theft, substance abuse, sexual orientation confusion, impulsive actions, self-injury, depression, anxiety and the like), the first thing that is assumed about you is that the child has experienced trauma, neglect or abuse by the parents (that is, YOU). Oftentimes this is NOT the case. I have two daughters (fraternal twins) and one of them has emotional regulation issues, the other does not. The environment in which they were raised was essential the same. The thing is, the children are not the same. I know of another individual who has two daughters, two years apart in age, one of which is a drug addict who never attended college and the other has a ph. d. They were also seemingly raised in the same environment. Granted, neither my children nor the daughters of my friend are child stars as Ms. Lohan was. Yet, my problem #1 is blaming the parents. It doesn’t do anything to help Ms. Lohan. In DBT there’s a couple of rules that you learn at the beginning. One of these “rules” (or guidelines) goes something like this: Even though I didn’t cause some of my problems, I still have to be responsible for solving those problems. In other words, even if you lay the cause and responsibly solely at the feet of Ms. Lohan’s parents and what they “stole” from her, it doesn’t function to make Ms. Lohan behave more effectively or feel any better. Instead, now that she is an adult, she will be required to take responsibility for her behavior and learn the skills necessary to function in a more effective manner, regardless of who caused her problems. I want you all to understand though, if she DOES indeed have a mental illness, these problems might be more difficult for her to overcome. That is because IMO (and in the recent opinions of many scientists) there is a biological component to most mental illnesses (including BPD) and, whereas many people with BPD also have comorbid PTSD from trauma and/or abuse/neglect, many do not. I believe that in order to have BPD the biological component must be present. Dr. Marsha Linehan’s bio-social model seems to reflect this. In other words, in the case of my twins and my friend’s daughters, what is different about each of them is their biological system, not the environment. The kids are different biologically. In the case of Ms. Lohan, perhaps she also has a biological feature that would increase the likelihood of impulsive behavior (among other features).

Now this brings me to point #2 which has to do with boundaries and the fuzzy understanding of what boundaries are. Dr. Albow says:

If she’s guilty, she did it for the same reason she illegally used drugs and drove under the influence and—maybe—assaulted an employee at The Betty Ford Center: She had so much stolen from her as a young person, had her boundaries violated so feloniously, that she considers the boundaries of others irrelevant.

Ahh, boundaries! Anytime I mention BPD to anyone who is not steeped in the world of BPD/non-BPD, including and especially therapists, one of the first things out of their mouths is boundaries (after trauma/abuse). This doctor doesn’t understand boundaries and the way that they function. A person like Lindsay Lohan doesn’t have a boundary problem, she has an emotional problem. You could rewrite the first sentence like this:

If she’s guilty, she did it for the same reason she illegally used drugs and drove under the influence and—maybe—assaulted an employee at The Betty Ford Center: she is in a great deal of emotional pain, has issues regulating her emotions, is impulsive and will behave in an “anything to stop the pain” manner. She acts on her emotions and action impulses before she thinks of the consequences.

Her problem is dysphoria and a poor sense of well-being, which in turn leads to impulsive behavior like shoplifting a necklace when you could just afford to buy one.

I don’t want to go into a long discussion of boundaries here. I‘ve talk about boundaries so many times, it gets old. If you understand my view of boundaries and rules and consequences and intent and the differentiation between these important behavioral and mental concepts, you’ll immediately see why I object to the “boundary violation” explanation of  Ms. Lohan’s make-up and behavior. No, the problem with Lindsay Lohan is (IMO) dysphoria, poor impulse control, emotional dysregulation and a large amount of emotional pain. That is why she does the drugs, steals things (allegedly), engages in risky behavior, cuts herself, etc. It’s not because she “considers the boundaries of others irrelevant”. That statement just shows me that you, doctor, don’t understand boundaries, despite your status as a mental health professional and a Fox News guy. In fact, it has NOTHING to do with the other’s boundaries or feelings at all. It’s all about her feelings.

My last problem with the article has to do with this statement:

Assault and theft. Lindsay Lohan, I would venture, knows all about those things, very deep inside. And not just because of what she did. No, no. Don’t believe that for a moment. Mostly, this is a story about what was done to her.

No, it’s not a story about what was done to her. I’m sorry, but the problem for Ms. Lohan is two-fold. Firstly, if she does indeed have mental health issues, emotional issues, substance abuse issues, and behavioral issues, it is her responsibility as an adult to address those effectively. The question is not “what was done to her by whom?” – it’s “what does she do about it now?” She’s no longer a child. She must address her behavioral issues with the help of a mental health, substance abuse and/or behavioral health specialist. If she continues to play out the approach that Dr. Albow espouses here – the “I had a f*cked up childhood” approach, she’s going to continue to behave ineffectively. What she’s doing is anything to stop the pain, yet, ironically, it is causing MORE pain for her because she’s behaving in an ineffective manner.

Secondly, like everyone in society, Ms. Lohan has to learn that her behavior has consequences, even unintended ones. Sure, she might have a disorder like BPD in which she would find it difficult NOT to behave impulsively and in a pain-killing way, yet when all that is done, she has to face the consequences of her behavior like everyone else. As I have said in the past, just because you didn’t mean to burn down the house while playing with matches, doesn’t mean the house magically comes back from the ashes. No, the house is still in ashes whether your parents abused/neglected you or you were just trying to stop the pain inside your head. Ms. Lohan’s behavior has consequences and sometimes those consequences are going to jail. The judge is not going to accept the argument, “my parents made me do this by taking away my childhood.”

And all of that brings me back to the serenity prayer, which (as I have said in “When Hope is Not Enough”) I always thought was a stupid cliche, yet, Lindsay Lohan is an excellent example of those words at work. (And BTW, I am not a support of A.A., despite my reference to the prayer). Ms. Lohan has no ability to change what her parents did to her. That is something she must accept. Trying to change those things will  cause frustration and, in her case, maybe incarceration. What she CAN change is her future by learning to behave more effectively and manage her emotions more effectively. If she doesn’t do that, she’s going to end up helpless (“my parents made me this way and there’s nothing I can do about it”), in jail or on the wrong side of the grass.

Related posts:

1. Amy Winehouse is back in the news again
2. Why would Lindsay Lohan shoplift?
3. Lindsay Lohan and possible BPD (more detail this time)

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Q. Dear Dr. Heller

Do a large percentage of BPD individuals have difficulty with impulsiveness which involves shoplifting? Can you comment on this form of self-injurious behavior.

Also I understand Klonopin is not to be given to individuals who have difficulty with impulsiveness, Please advise on this medication.

Someone in deep legal trouble that has just learned there is a name for the cause of all this pain.

A. Shoplifting has long been known to be one of the self-destructive, impulsive behaviors borderlines do to make dysphoria – anxiety, rage, depression, despair – go away. It’s similar to reckless driving, binge eating, binge shopping, etc. It’s not common, but it does happen.

Xanax – alprazolam – has been shown to worsen behavioral dyscontrol, which means there may be an increased risk of self-destructive behaviors. Klonopin is a very similar medication, and while I haven’t seen studies on it in this regard, it is logical to assume it will make BPD self destructive symptoms worse.

As you can see, Dr. Heller does indicate that shoplifting is an impulsive behavior and can be used to make the dysphoria of BPD go away. In addition, he goes on to indicate that benzos (particularly Xanax) can worsen self-destructive and impulsive behaviors. I have seen that effect with my own eyes. Xanax definitely decreases impulse control and increases behavioral dyscontrol. When mixed with alcohol, the effects can be even more dramatic. So, I thought I’d go out and try to discern if Lindsay Lohan is taking Xanax or other medications that would have these effects. Sure enough, there have been reports that Ms. Lohan is taking Xanax (along with Paxil and Adderall). The combination of poor impulse control (which is a feature of BPD, although it is also a feature of other disorders) and the Xanax could indeed lead to a self-control issue such as shoplifting. Here is a CNN report about Lindsay’s latest legal troubles regarding the alleged shoplifting of a $2,500 necklace. The question that immediately arises (at least for most people) is why? Why would she shoplift when she can afford to buy the product? Again, see above for possible explanation (Xanax + poor impulse control = try to make dysphoria go away). This whole incident reminded me of Winoa Ryder’s shoplifting case. In addition to her shoplifting, she also has apparently been taking Xanax.

Related posts:

1. Benzos and BPD
2. Andy Dick… Wow, what a mess
3. Lindsay Lohan and BPD (maybe but not for sure)

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Doctor: Anna Nicole Smith medication ‘overkill’

By LINDA DEUTSCH (AP) – 3 days ago

LOS ANGELES — A hospital psychiatrist testified Friday that medication given to Anna Nicole Smith by a doctor now on trial was “overkill” for the kind of pain she was describing.

Dr. Nathalie Maullin said she believed Smith had “a borderline personality disorder” and was addicted to prescription medications.

Maullin said she was on staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in April 2006 when Smith was brought in pregnant and in withdrawal from anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the pain killer Methadone. The celebrity model told her she had gone “cold turkey,” discontinuing her medications all at once because she was concerned for the welfare of her expected baby.

By doing that, Maullin said, she had actually endangered the baby and herself. The doctor said she quickly resumed her medication with Methadone and began weaning her off Xanax, both of which had been prescribed by Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, a defendant in the drug conspiracy case.

“My thoughts were these were very hard core medications to be giving for the kind of pain she was demonstrating,” said Maullin. “She was on medication that seemed like overkill for the type of pain she was in.”

She said it was difficult to get a medical history from Smith because she was “putting on a show” and was deferring questions to her lawyer-boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, who was with her at all times.

Kapoor, Stern and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to provide excessive opiates and sedatives to Smith. They are also charged with prescribing drugs to an addict, but are not charged with causing her 2007 overdose death.

Maullin said Stern told her Smith had been suffering from back pain for five years. She said the former Playboy model also complained of pain in her upper back and arm.

Another doctor who testified earlier this week said Smith suffered from chronic pain syndrome all over her body.

Maullin said she conferred with Kapoor by phone, gave him her plan for weaning Smith off Xanax and any drugs known as benzodiazopines which can be addictive. She said he agreed and told her he would leave the prescribing of Methadone to her.

“Did you see any pain that needed treatment with opiates?” asked the prosecutor.

“No,” Maullin said.

The problem was that Smith showed no enthusiasm for the plan, the doctor said.

“It was like pulling teeth to get some response from her,” she said. “She was compliant but not really interested. She was not wholehearted.”

Five days after Smith checked in to the hospital, Maullin said she received a page at midnight from a nurse that said Smith’s eyes had rolled back in her head.

That sounded like a drug reaction and a one-time dose of Benadryl was prescribed, Maullin said. However, the next day, she received another call saying Smith was having hallucinations.

“The nurse said that she was flossing her teeth with no floss and was out of it,” Maullin said. “This was a radical change.”

Under questioning by Deputy District Attorney David Barkhurst, Maullin said she did not consider this an emergency and she tended to other patients before going to see Smith five hours later.

“In psychiatry, we are used to seeing patients do strange things,” she said.

Upon her arrival, Stern told Maullin that Smith “was generally acting goofy.” Smith was angry and made no eye contact but seemed lucid, Maullin said.

The psychiatrist said she suggested that Smith go into an inpatient facility that deals with addicts. But Smith wasn’t interested and told Stern she wanted to leave the hospital.

Maullin said she informed Kapoor and he said he would go to her house.

“I thought that was unusual,” she said. “Physicians generally see patients in the office or the hospital. There was no reason she could not leave her home to come to see him. Just in terms of proper boundaries with patients, you see them in your office.

“She needed to participate in her care,” Maullin said. “It’s not a home delivery service.”

Related posts:

1. Princess Di and Borderline Personality Disorder
2. Lindsay Lohan and possible BPD (more detail this time)
3. Why would Lindsay Lohan shoplift?

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Mel Gibson seems to have found the most unlikely counsellor in his attempt to regain his reputation and it is no other than the troubled pop-star Britney Spears, media reports said.

Gibson’s reputation has been badly damaged following the release of several tape recordings which purportedly feature him hurling abuse and vile threats at ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva during phone calls.

The Toxic singer, 28, has been telling her friends that Mel Gibson, 54, has been pouring his heart out to her — confiding that he fears for his sanity and is convinced he’s destroyed his once-hot career.

The In Touch magazine quoted a friend of Britney as saying that they speak on the phone all the time, usually late at night.

Her friends also say that Britney is just returning the favour because apparently Gibson went out of his way to help her when she went through her own breakdown.

Britney’s friend said that Britney wants people to give him a second chance — just like he gave her one when everyone else turned away.

Related posts:

1. Does Britney Spears have Borderline Personality Disorder?
2. Celebrities with Borderline Personality Disorder (possibly, not for sure)
3. Update on Britney Spears and Borderline Personality Disorder

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Lindsay Lohan Breaks Down in Court

Well, it’s been some time since I have written anything about celebrities with possible borderline personality disorder. Personally, I wish some celeb would just come out and admit that they have the disorder and help others by showing that there’s effective evidence-based treatments for BPD. I guess the stigma is too great and they feel that it would hurt their careers. Of course, for some, their behavior is what is hurting their careers. Today, I am turning again to Lindsay Lohan (click here to see all posts about LiLo). Lately I have been receiving a ton of alerts with news stories that contain LiLo’s name and reference BPD. These are usually in the user comments. I can’t find a single legit magazine or news article that has speculated on BPD and LiLo. Recently, her behavior has accelerated, even as she is facing jail. Here are some recent articles that could indicate that (in combo) LiLo has BPD (remember, this is just speculation at this point):

Lindsay Lohan goes Doctor Shopping
http://entertainment.oneindia.in/hollywood/top-stories/scoop/2010/lilodoes-doctor-shopping-for-prescriptionmeds.html

Washington, July 12 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan apparently obtains her dangerous combination of prescription drugs through “doctor shopping” across the country.

According to a source, Lohan goes to six different doctors for prescriptions.

“When one doctor says no to refilling a prescription, she will go to the next. It’s a whole process to get what she needed, ” TMZ quoted the source as saying.

Lindsay who has prescriptions for- Zoloft (antidepressant), Trazodone (antidepressant), Adderall (stimulant to control ADHD), Nexium (acid reflux) and the extremely powerful painkiller Dilaudid, have doctors both in Los Angeles and New York.

In fact, one of her past rehab facilities still prescribes her meds.

The source even added that, Lohan “would get a large supply every time” she visited a doctor.

Lindsay Lohan and Suicidal Ideation
http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2010/07/14/lindsay-lohan-suicide-watch-kill-herself-jail-90-days/

Lindsay Lohan would rather kill herself than be locked away in jail. The 24-year-old actress is reportedly so upset over the 90 day jail sentence looming over her since July 6, that she’s threatening to take her own life.

“She just kept repeating, ‘I can’t go to jail,’ and, ‘I’ll kill myself first,’” a source tells Star magazine. “She’s mentally unstable and getting worse.”

After Lindsay’s discovered she’d be serving time at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif., Star reports she went home and broke everything in sight.

“She ran around breaking mirrors, cutting herself and rambling like a lunatic. She tore her house apart before she finally just broke down,” reveals a source. “Lindsay’s on a 24/7 suicide watch, it’s so bad. She isn’t doing well with this.”

Not only is Lindsay going around saying she wants to kill herself but she’s taking a lethal dose of prescription drugs.

“She has been doctor shopping across the country,” she says. “She is utterly unable to control her use of any mind-altering substance.”

Lindsay Lohan and Self-Injury
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/11/exclusive-self-harm-sign-%E2%80%9Cseverely-disturbed-behavior%E2%80%9D

In shocking phone conversations exclusively obtained by RadarOnline.com Lindsay Lohan’s mom, Dina, is heard expressing her concern over her daughter’s self mutilation. And with good reason, as experts in the field tell RadarOnline.com that self harm is often just one factor of greater, underlying emotional issues.

Renown psychotherapist, and author of Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation, Dr. Steven Levenkron tells RadarOnline.com that Lindsay’s behavior is a sign of disturbed psychiatric behavior and that it will take time and energy to help her heal. “Whether (a given patient’s) condition is termed being ‘out of touch with reality,’ ‘psychotic,’ or ‘in a diagnosed state,’ the scene constitutes severely disturbed psychiatric behavior,” Levenkron says. “ This is the element that must be present in order to meet the criteria for self-injury. ‘Severely disturbed behavior’ does not mean hopeless, but it does mean that it will take a long time, lots of focused attention, and an intense emotional bond between helper and sufferer in order to repair the damage.”

And Dr. Wendy Lader, PHD, President and Clinical Director of the S.A.F.E ALTERNATIVES program, a nationally recognized treatment approach, professional network and resource base, and an international speaker on self-injury elaborates, telling RadarOnline.com, “The main reason for self injury is to deal with emotional regulation. For whatever reason it helps them to calm down.

“People who self harm have the inability to communicate the depth of  their feelings.

“They can’t talk about their emotions. And they want to do something quick to deal with their frustration or anger. Cutting works immediately. As soon as they split the skin there is a release.

“The problem is that most people don’t just self harm by cutting. Many have eating disorders too.

“Its all about control. They have non over the way they are feeling but they can control their body image. It’s a dangerous combination.

“Some people describe the feeling as euphoric. But I think they are confusing that for release of tension.

“The way to help these people is to make them recognize that when they have an impulse to hurt themselves, it’s a clue that they don’t want to feel something.

“They need to focus on what it is they don’t want to deal with and try to attack it in a different way.

“Some people do manage to stop by themselves but others go their whole lives cutting or harming themselves.

“I encourage anyone going through this to be assessed.”

Lindsay Lohan and Emotional Regulation
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/celebrities/2010/07/13/14694551.html

Defence attorney Stuart V. Goldberg has spoken of his worries for Lindsay Lohan, insisting the jailbound actress lacks “awareness” of the “urgency” of her dire situation.

Goldberg was contacted by the Mean Girls star after her lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley attempted to resign last week, and held a six-hour meeting with Lohan, her mom and teen sister Ali in Hollywood to discuss her case.

The legal eagle, who ultimately turned down the case, admits the Lohans “didn’t seem to understand the urgency and gravity” of the situation, prompting Goldberg’s fears for the actress.

He tells People.com, “My impression of Lindsay is that she’s a fragile lost child – a sleeping beauty with her head in the sand. I found her not fully forewarned of the consequence of her actions.

“I’m concerned that she’s not disciplined or tethered enough to the reality of adult consequences. She doesn’t seem to have the awareness of what’s going to befall her.”

Goldberg asked Lohan if she might hurt herself, which moved the star to begin “sobbing quietly.” He adds: “She was genuinely in pain.”

He advised Lohan to move out of the “toxic environment” of Los Angeles but she seemed to refute the suggestion: “She was like Teflon to that comment. It just slid right off her. She seemed to have some inner deep sadness that that was her fate.

“My real worry for her is not just the jail time but my fear is that she’s overly susceptible to a probation system that’s set up for her to fail.”

The 24 year old was sentenced to 90 days in jail last week after Judge Marsha Revel ruled she had broken the terms of her probation from a 2007 DUI arrest by failing to attend court-ordered alcohol education classes.

Lohan’s lawyer Holley has been banned from quitting until papers for a replacement are filed in court.

Lindsay Lohan and Substance Abuse
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1643621/20100714/lohan_lindsay.jhtml

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-lindsay-lohan-20100704,0,4835943.story

Lindsay Lohan and Blaming Others
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38127652/ns/today-entertainment/

LOS ANGELES — Lindsay Lohan had a message written on her middle fingernails while in court on Tuesday — and it was far from a note of contrition.

The 24-year-old actress — who was sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating her probation — had “f— u” written across her middle fingernail on both of her hands.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Lohan must turn herself into the court by July 20. She will then be held in Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, Calif., where she will be in seclusion.

Steve Whitmore, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department, told Access Hollywood on Tuesday that general, non-violent females are eligible to serve just 25 percent of their sentence — which in Lohan’s case would amount to around 22 days.

Clearly, the woman is in a lot of emotional pain, unable to regulate her feelings and behaviors and in need of someone to help her. Unfortunately, first, she has to admit she has an issue and seek help.

Related posts:

1. Famous People who Cut themselves
2. Fox News Mental Health Guy Gets It Wrong on Lindsay Lohan
3. Why would Lindsay Lohan shoplift?

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Courtney Love in wake of losing custody of Frances Bean: ‘terrible influences, pure evil’
By Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger
December 15, 2009, 10:29AM

Courtney and Frances Bean

Courtney Love has left a string of only occasionally coherent messages on her Facebook page in the wake of a Los Angeles court decision to give temporary custody of Frances Bean Cobain to the girl’s paternal grandmother: “cruelty to children and people too young to understand that under that rock isnt gold its only,.,,,,, utah on steroids” and “terrible influences, pure evil. and a poor baby caught inside a trap”.

That clears things up.

Love’s lawyer tells People that Frances Bean, Love’s daughter with dead rock icon Kurt Cobain, wanted to live with her grandmother, and the judge’s decision should not be taken as confirmation that Love has had a drug relapse.

“Courtney’s been clean for years and is perfectly fine,” Keith A. Fink says. “Frances is 17 and a strong-willed child, and this is a decision she made on her own. No matter what, Courtney loves her daughter more than anything in the world.”

Frances Bean has reportedly always been close with her grandmother, who had custody during a particularly messy period (and that’s saying something) of Love’s life in 2003 and 2004.

Related posts:

1. A Daughter with BPD who Lies
2. Emotional Independence and the Types of Love
3. Tough Love is not an effective approach to BPD

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Megan Fox and BPD

A little while ago, I wrote a piece on Megan Fox and her statements in an interview that she was considering the possibility that she had a “borderline” personality. I got several reactions that she probably didn’t know what she was talking about or that she was merely emulating/reflecting her “heroine” – Marilyn Monroe. (Fox has a tattoo of Marilyn Monroe on the right forearm).

I read the interview with Fox in “Rolling Stone” this month and found that, if she was being honest in the interview, there is a distinct possibility that she does have BPD. Here are some of the salient points…

In “When Hope is Not Enough,” I point to three features of BPD that I think are common to all people with the disorder. They are: emotional dysregulation, shame and impulsivity. So, let’s start there:

Emotional Dysregulation

Fox: “…But it doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. I am very vulnerable. But I can be aggressive, hurtful, domineering and selfish, too. I’m emotionally unpredictable and all over the place. I’m a control freak. My temper is ridiculously bad. I’ve destroyed my house.”

As a child she had, “panic attacks that manifested themselves as violent, rageful temper tantrums. Like I didn’t know how to control myself or what to do.”

When Hope is Not Enough
Get the Non-BPD book that is designed for
staying and working on the relationship

Shame

Fox: “I’m really insecure about everything. Like what those reporters said about the movie, all I could think was, ‘They’re mocking me… I have a sick feeling of being mocked all the time. I have a lot of self-loathing.”

Impulsivity

Fox: “I go batshit. I’ve had to say to Brian (her boyfriend), ‘You have to go and stop talking to me, because I’m going to kill you. I’m going to stab you with something. Please leave.’ I’d never own a gun for that reason. I wouldn’t shoot to kill. But I’d shoot him in the leg, for sure.”

More evidence…

As a child, she started seeing a therapist because of her real “emotional problems,” but it didn’t seem to help.

She is sensitive about the environment. She can’t sleep with someone touching her. She requires a “cocoon” of pillows to make her feel safe. She can’t sleep in the quiet and dark. She doesn’t like to look in the mirror. She admits to drawing blood during sex, but doesn’t elaborate. She admits to self-injury, but doesn’t elaborate. She hints at an eating disorder, but doesn’t elaborate. She is a “bi-sexual.”

And more. If half of the things in the interview are honest and true, I think Megan Fox may have leaped over my other “celebs with possible BPD (but not for sure)” list.

Related posts:

1. Princess Di and Borderline Personality Disorder
2. New for May – Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
3. Megan Fox, a new celeb on the BPD-o-meter

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Megan Fox has BPD?

Sure, she’s the hottest thing right now… Yet Megan Fox admits in a recent interview that there’s something wrong with her mentally…

‘I could end up like that because I constantly struggle with the idea that I think I’m a borderline personality – or that I have bouts of mild schizophrenia. I definitely have some kind of mental problem and I haven’t pinpointed what it is,” she aired to the mag.

Could she be the first celebrity to “come out of the closet” and admitting to having BPD? It would be nice for the BPD community if she did. Most of the celebs say they have “bipolar disorder” (or depression) if they have mental problems. I can’t think of a single one that has said they have borderline personality disorder.

When Hope is Not Enough
Get the Non-BPD book that is designed for
staying and working on the relationship

Related posts:

1. Mindy McCready Pops Up Again on the BPD-o-meter
2. Angelina Jolie Tops the List of Searched On Celeb Borderlines
3. Courtney Love’s BPD-meter now getting in the red zone

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Yikes! Skinny Courtney Love looks anorexic; weight loss sparks concern over frail framed star
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Updated Wednesday, June 24th 2009, 1:22 PM

What happened to Courtney Love?

The former Hole singer, visiting a midtown NYC bank Monday, shocked onlookers with a scary-skinny frame that suggests the star’s yo-yo dieting may be out of hand once again.

Love, clad in tight grey pants and a sleeveless tunic, was a shadow of the curvaceous star who once walked the red carpet for movies like “The People vs. Larry Flynt.”

She began dieting in 2006 to lose the weight she put on after kicking her drug addiction, losing 52 pounds on a regimen of protein shakes, fish and vegetables, according to London’s Daily Mail.

Love joked onstage about an “eating disorder” during a 2007 performance — but later insisted she was only kidding.

The 44-year-old widow of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain is currently being sued by American Express over alleged unpaid credit.

OK, so Courtney rings in on the following BPDish symptoms:

Courtney Love's a Skeleton

• Eating Disorder
• Self-Injury
• Substance Abuse
• Conflicted Relationships
• Inappropriate Anger
• Paranoia
• Shame

Related posts:

1. Courtney Love a Borderline?
2. Amy Winehouse pops up on the BPD-o-meter again
3. Tough Love is not an effective approach to BPD

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“Sam and Lindsay are speaking,” the source tells PEOPLE. “But Sam has begged Lindsay to get help.”

“Lindsay, despite appearances, is insecure and has relied on Samantha and their relationship to build her up,” explains the pal. “Lindsay barely sleeps, which explains a lot of her behavior. She’s exhausted. She can’t even sit down for a minute without pacing around the room. It’s really sad.”

Sam is begging Lindsay to get help? For what? Well, perhaps we know.  Looking at Lindsay’s case, I can’t help but see Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). She is erractic, emotional and sexually confused. She has all the classic signs of an untreated person with BPD. I hope she gets help – and I hope that, if she is diagnosed with BPD, she would come out publically and say so – to reduce the stigma of the disorder.

Lindsay Lohan and BPD?

Related posts:

1. Megan Fox, a new celeb on the BPD-o-meter
2. Lindsay Lohan and possible BPD (more detail this time)
3. Why would Lindsay Lohan shoplift?

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Celebrity Searches on ATSTP

When Hope is Not Enough
Get the Non-BPD book that is designed for
staying and working on the relationship

Related posts:

1. Courtney Love a Borderline?
2. When Hope is Not Enough reaches #5 on Amazon’s Lulu Sales List
3. When Hope is Not Enough reaches #10 on Amazon’s Lulu Sales List

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It is my understanding, and I am a psychologist, that Angelina Jolie checked into (volunatarily not a forced commitment) to the Neuropsychiatric Institute in the late 1990′s due to self-reported suicidal and homicidal ideation, no intention or plan for carrying out was reported. She was diagnosed with presumptive Borderline Personality Disorder which in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness (DSM-IV) for is an Axis II Personality Disorder. Axis I diagnoses are mostly mood disorders and can be transient (i.e. major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, etc). Axis II disorders are thought to be characterological disorders, more ingrained and ego-syntonic and therefore, more difficult to “change.” Since that time, I believe AJ has managed this much better and less self-destructively. There are a few people with BPD who do get better and stop doing crazy and self-destructive things. I think that motherhood was a big adaptive “glue” for her and she has pulled herself together since adopting Maddox. She seems to have found a “bigger purpose” and is not acting out with drugs, etc. Of course many of these patients are vulnerable to stress and loss. Grief or any loss tends to run a more complicated course with persons who have Borderline Personality Disorder. I have never met, evaluated, or treated Jolie, but one of my expertises is BPD. I go to tons of conferences on this and several presenters as well as I recall that she said in a legitimate news source that she was hospitalized by her choice at a particularly chaotic time in her life. That was almost ten yeas ago and I think with age and motherhood along with finding a purpose she found new and more adaptive ways to deal with old demons (and we all have those). That is probably all I will say as a professional because I am on this forum just to goof off but did what to add this given the previous posts.

When Hope is Not Enough
Get the Non-BPD book that is designed for
staying and working on the relationship

Related posts:

1. Does Britney Spears have Borderline Personality Disorder?
2. Understanding Major Depression With Borderline Personality Disorder?
3. Charlie Sheen and Borderline Personality Disorder

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Comedian Andy Dick arrested in drug, sexual battery case in Murrieta
From the Associated Press

Andy Dick, 42, was arrested today on suspicion of drug use and sexual battery in Murrieta.
The former ‘NewsRadio’ star allegedly fondled a teen and pulled down her tank top outside a restaurant. Police say they found marijuana and Xanax in his possession.
By David Kelly, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 17, 2008
Actor and comedian Andy Dick, who has a history of run-ins with the law, was arrested early Wednesday outside a Murrieta restaurant on suspicion of sexual battery and drug possession.

Police said Dick, who was heavily intoxicated, grabbed and fondled the breast of a 17-year-old girl before pulling her top down in the parking lot of the Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar about 1:15 in the morning.

“The victim was traumatized by this,” said Lt. Dennis Vrooman, spokesman for the Murrieta Police Department.

Police later found one gram of marijuana and one Xanax anti-anxiety pill in Dick’s pocket. He was arrested and later released on $5,000 bail.

It was the latest in a string of encounters that Dick, 42, has had with authorities. The former star of the comedy series “NewsRadio” was cited last year in Columbus, Ohio, for urinating in public. He was kicked off the set of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” for repeatedly touching fellow guest Ivanka Trump. In 1999 he drove his car into a telephone pole and was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana.

Calls to his manager were not returned.

Vrooman said police had already warned Dick about his intoxication before he went to the restaurant. Officers had encountered the comedian while responding to an altercation at the Corner Pocket Sports Cafe in Murrieta about 9 p.m. Tuesday. They told him to leave or face possible arrest on public intoxication charges. He left with five or six friends.

Dick, who listed his address as Woodland Hills, told officers he was in town to attend the funeral of a friend’s father.

Later that night, Dick and his entourage arrived at the Buffalo Wild Wings and began drinking, police said. He was recognized by several patrons, including the alleged victim, who approached him.

Vrooman said the girl, who is from Murrieta, tried to talk to Dick but backed off when she realized how intoxicated he was.

Sara Lidman, one of the restaurant managers, would say only that Dick was in the bar with friends.

Police said that when Dick left he spotted the girl and her friend in the parking lot and shouted, “There are the girls!”

“He groped her breast with his right hand, then pulled down her top,” Vrooman said.

The teen’s friend called police.

When they arrived, they found Dick in the front seat of a Honda pickup truck heading toward a nearby Sam’s Club parking lot.

Officers stopped the truck and forced all the men inside to line up so the girl could identify the man who allegedly groped her. She pointed to Dick.

A search of his pockets turned up the Xanax and marijuana. He did not have a prescription for the Xanax, police said.

Vrooman said Dick was belligerent at first and then answered officers’ questions.

On Saturday, Dick was spotted at Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina in Canyon Lake in Riverside County.

“My understanding was that he was drinking soda water and was not drunk,” said Pepe’s owner Marty Gibson. “There was no altercation that I heard of.”

Dick was arrested on suspicion of sexual battery, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana, and he may yet be charged with public intoxication, Vrooman said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 12 in Murrieta.

david.kelly@latimes.com

Times staff writer Harriet Ryan contributed to this report.

The video.

Related posts:

1. Amy Winehouse gets off easy – but maybe not with her dad
2. Amy Winehouse is back in the news again
3. Interesting Statement from Judge in Lindsay Lohan Case

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

5. Angelina Jolie (if you want a more detailed analysis of Angeline Jolie go here)

• Self-Injury.
• Volatile Relationships.
• Sexual Confusion.
• Eating Disorder.

4. Courtney Love (to see all of the posts on Courtney Love go here)

• Substance Abuse.
• Possible Eating Disorder.
• Inappropriate Anger.
• Shame.
• Self-Injury.

New! An eBook that can help you in your relationship with someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. Beyond Boundaries is the next step in the evolution of the Non-BPD/BPD relationship.

3. Lindsey Lohan (Here is some more info on Lindsay Lohan go here)

• Dangerous driving.
• Substance abuse.
• Eating disorder.
• Unsafe sexual behavior.
• Possible Self-Injury.

2. Britney Spears (more on Britney try this link)

• Dangerous driving.
• Substance Abuse.
• “Bipolar”.
• Eating Disorder.
• Inappropriate anger.

1. Amy Winehouse (for more on Amy Winehouse try this)

• Self-Injury.
• Substance Abuse.
• Volatile relationships.
• Sexual Confusion.
• Eating Disorder.
• Implusive Behavior.
• Shame.
• Suicidal.

Think someone in your life that has Borderline Personality Disorder? Buy the book that has helped hundreds of people like yourself. When Hope is Not Enough: a how-to guide for living with and loving someone with Borderline Personality Disorder really is a how-to, step-by-step for loved ones of people with BPD to communicate more effectively.

When Hope is Not Enough
Get the Non-BPD book that is designed for
staying and working on the relationship

Related posts:

1. Princess Di and Borderline Personality Disorder
2. Charlie Sheen and Borderline Personality Disorder
3. New for May – Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

• Diana, Princess of Wales
• Colin Farrell
• Fiona Apple
• Johnny Depp
• Courtney Love
• Angelina Jolie
• Amy Winehouse (RIP)
• Pete Doherty
• Lindsay Lohan
• Darrell Hammond (recently added because he came out and said he cut himself)
• and others

I wonder if any of these people are also borderlines. No star is willing to come out and publicly say they are. I have updated the link to go to the appropriate page.

http://self-injury.net/media/famous-self-injurers

When Hope is Not Enough
Get the Non-BPD book that is designed for
staying and working on the relationship

A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain

Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation

Helping Teens Who Cut: Understanding and Ending Self-Injury

Stopping the Pain: A Workbook for Teens Who Cut & Self-Injure

Scars That Wound, Scars That Heal: A Journey Out of Self Injury (Live Free)

Related posts:

1. Bill of Rights for People Who Self-Harm
2. Self-injury Report
3. Lindsay Lohan and possible BPD (more detail this time)

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“”People like her are extraordinarily emotionally immature,”" according to Sheenah Hankin, a psychotherapist who says Love’s behavior resembles that of a typical “”borderline personality disorder.”" “”These people throw tantrums and don’t take care of themselves at all,”" she adds. “”When they’re in a crisis, they don’t seek help, they just freak out.”"

There is no “”poster child”" for BPD. No celebrity has come out and said: “”I have borderline personality disorder.”" Sure, some famous people have been identified with bi-polar disorder (some examples from a Google search: Ben Stiller, Dick Cavett, Jonathan Winters, Carrie Fisher, Sting) …but not BPD. Why?http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040718/news_1a18clove.html

Related posts:

1. Famous People who Cut themselves
2. Emotional Independence and the Types of Love
3. New for May – Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.