Anything to Stop the Pain - BPD and Non-BPDs » Anything to Stop the Pain – For Non-Borderlines and Loved Ones of People with BPD

Media Reports the Amy Winehouse may have had Borderline Personality Disorder

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:24:06 +0000

Well, duh. I had Amy Winehouse (RIP) at the top of my Celebrities with Possible BPD list for almost 4 years. Now the news media is reporting the possibility.

Amy Winehouse May Have Had a Mental Illness
Posted by Roberta Seldon on December 5, 2011 4:23 AM

Amy Winehouse may have been suffering from an obscure mental illness that ultimately led to her untimely demise, according to a report from the Daily Star.

According to the Star, Winehouse may have been suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder — a condition that leaves the individual emotionally volatile, with feelings of anger, guilt, shame and emptiness, thereby pushing him or her into eating disorders and substance abuse.

According to the Star, a family member said that the Grammy award-winning singer may have suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder. “It was never diagnosed, because unfortunately she would never agree to a proper diagnosis,” the Daily Star quoted a family member as saying. “I’m not an expert, but from what I’ve read on Borderline Personality Disorder it kind of fitted with her.”

Meanwhile, Winehouse’s father, 61-year-old Mitch Winehouse, told the Star he wished Amy would have sought counseling. “She never stopped trying. She hated the way she was when she was drunk and when she was ill,” the Daily Star quoted Mitch as saying.

“And you know, the way I look at it, she died trying.”

“She didn’t give up. She died trying to make herself better,” he added.

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Did Marilyn Monroe have BPD?

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:30:04 +0000

In light of the new film about Marilyn Monroe, I found this about her:

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
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Amanda Knox was accused of being Borderline in trial

Bon Dobbs — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:57:03 +0000

The first article that I have seen that indicates that Amanda Knox was accused of having BPD.

Tears of freedom, now the bidding war begins

Karen Kissane October 05, 2011

THE family of the murdered girl was bereft; the family of the alleged murderer jubilant.

Amanda Knox

After judges in the Italian hill town of Perugia declared convicted murderer Amanda Knox not guilty on appeal, her sister Deanna said outside court: “We’re thankful that Amanda’s nightmare is over. She has suffered four years for a crime she didn’t commit.”

Ms Knox, 24, was flying home to Seattle last night, where she is expected to receive offers for multimillion-dollar book and movie deals about her ordeal.

TV networks are already bidding for her first interview.

Ms Knox’s mother and other relatives were seen at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport, where Ms Knox joined them on a flight to London before boarding a connection to the United States.

But for the family of the woman she was accused of murdering, 21-year-old Meredith Kercher, there was no joy in the legal decision that overturned Ms Knox’s conviction and 26-year jail sentence.

They said in a statement: “We respect the decision of the judges but we do not understand how the decision of the first trial could be so radically overturned. We still trust the Italian justice system and hope that the truth will eventually emerge.”
The prosecutor Giuliano Mignini vowed an appeal to Italy’s highest criminal court.

“Let’s wait and we will see who was right. The first court or the appeal court,” Mr Mignini said.

“This trial was done under unacceptable media pressure. The decision was almost already announced; this is not normal.” If the highest court overturns the acquittal, prosecutors could request Ms Knox’s extradition to finish her sentence.

At an earlier media conference Ms Kercher’s sister Stephanie said the “brutal murder” was being overlooked: “Meredith has been hugely forgotten.” Her brother Lyle said: “It is very hard to find forgiveness at this time. Four years is a very long time but on the other hand it is still raw.”

Judges also acquitted Ms Knox’s alleged partner in crime, her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. The two had been convicted of raping and murdering Ms Kercher, an English exchange student, in the bedroom of a cottage the two women shared in Perugia in 2007.

The case sparked lurid language and an almost lascivious fascination inside and outside Italy’s justice system.

Judges have yet to give their reasoning but it is thought they relied on experts who testified the original investigation had been botched, with more than 50 errors in the handling of DNA evidence. The two judges, sitting with a six-person jury, were not swayed by the venomous language of the lawyer who had painted Ms Knox as a she-devil for initially falsely blaming her employer, bar owner Patrick Lumumba, for killing Ms Kercher. Mr Lumumba was arrested and jailed for two weeks after Ms Knox claimed she had heard him enter Ms Kercher’s room and then clapped her hands over her ears to muffle screams.

Mr Lumumba’s lawyer told the court: “The woman you see before you today is charming [and] angel faced … [but] she was a diabolical, demonic she-devil. She was muddy on the outside and dirty on the inside. She has two souls, the clean one you see before you, and the other.” He also claimed: “She is borderline. She likes alcohol, drugs and she likes wild, hot sex.”

Borderline personality is a serious psychiatric disorder involving severe mood swings, chaotic personal relationships and sometimes dissociation.

Police had become suspicious early on because of reportedly strange behaviour by Ms Knox, who had allegedly performed cartwheels and splits while waiting to be questioned and who had gone shopping for a g-string the day after the killing, where she was heard promising her boyfriend wild sex.

She was found to have lied about Mr Lumumba. Judges this week sentenced her to three years’ jail for slandering him. She was freed because she has already served four years jail, although she must also pay him €22,000 ($30,600) in damages.

Ms Knox said she lied only after being bullied and cuffed by police, who questioned her without a lawyer present. Ms Knox’s parents reportedly mortgaged their homes to pay her legal fees.

Mobile phone records suggested that she and her boyfriend had been near the scene at the time of the killing and turned off their phones for three hours around the time Ms Kercher is thought to have died.

Prosecutors at one point suggested the killing was the result of an attempted sex game and that Ms Kercher had been raped and killed for refusing to play. But this theory did not fit with the fact that the courts also convicted an Ivory Coast drifter, Rudy Guede, of the killing after DNA samples at the scene were matched to him. Ms Knox barely knew Mr Guede and Mr Sollecito had not met him.

Ms Knox’s father, Curt, said after her conviction “the attacks on Amanda’s character … overshadowed the lack of evidence in the case against her”.

Ms Knox thanked those “who shared my suffering and helped me survive with hope”, in a letter to a foundation that seeks to promote ties between Italy and the US and which has always championed her cause.

Her supporters in the US, where she is expected to take part in a $US1 million ($1.03 million) interview, greeted her acquittal with delight. In Seattle, supporters holding vigil hugged, wept and cheered.
They were not alone. Ms Knox, who had been rushed sobbing from the courtroom by guards, was returned to jail to be formally released. “There was a huge cheer … an ovation from every cell,” one of her supporters, the Italian MP Rocco Girlanda, told journalists. “Everyone was shouting ‘libera, libera!’ [free, free!] It was like being in a football stadium and was something I will never forget. Amanda saluted the other prisoners with a timid wave – she didn’t really know how to react.”

Casey Anthony: Borderline Personality Disorder, a Psychopath or What?

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Amy Winehouse, addiction and BPD from the NY Times

Bon Dobbs — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:10:20 +0000

Before her death, I’d written about Amy Winehouse and my analysis of why she was very high on the BPD-o-meter. Here is an article from the NY Times about addiction that mentions both Amy Winehouse and Borderline Personality Disorder (but not as her having it). Here are some interesting quotes:

Clinicians have long been aware that patients with certain types of psychiatric illnesses — including mood, anxiety and personality disorders — are more likely to become addicts. According to the National Institute of Mental Health’s Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study, patients with mental health problems are nearly three times as likely to have an addictive disorder as those without.

Conversely, 60 percent of people with a substance abuse disorder also suffer from another form of mental illness. Still, it’s unclear whether addiction predisposes someone to mental illness, or vice versa.

Scientists do know that having a mental illness doesn’t just increase the chance of intermittent drug abuse; it also significantly raises the risk of outright dependence and addiction. The conventional wisdom is the link represents a form of “self-medication” — that is, people are using drugs long-term to medicate their own misery.

And of course, I can’t overlook this one:

Certain personality disorders also raise the odds of drug abuse and alcohol abuse. Narcissistic patients, who constantly battle feelings of inadequacy, are frequently drawn to stimulants, like cocaine, that provide a fleeting sense of power and self-confidence. People with borderline personality disorder, who struggle to control their impulses and anger, often resort to drugs and alcohol to soften their intolerable moods.

Maybe that is an interesting factor for understanding the difference between NPD and BPD. In my experience, those with BPD are usually drawn to benzos, alcohol, and opiates. In my poll about substance abuse over 75% of respondents said they have had problems with substance abuse. Because of the u-opioid study by Stanley and Siever (and others), it seem natural for borderlines to seek pain-squelching medications, illicit or not.

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Miami Dolphins Player Brandon Marshall admits to Borderline Personality Disorder

Bon Dobbs — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:36:00 +0000

One of the first public personas admits to a BPD diagnosis:

Dolphins’ Marshall believes disorder is the source of problems

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall, whose alleged stabbing by his wife in an April domestic dispute was the latest of a string of incidents, believes he finally knows the source of his problems.

Marshall told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Sunday’s editions that he has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The 27-year-old said he received the diagnosis after three months of treatment and therapy, psychological and neurological exams at Boston’s McLean Hospital, the training ground for Harvard medical students.

“BPD is a well understood psychological disorder. It’s not a form of misbehavior,” said Mary Zanarini, a professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, who treated Marshall this summer.

BPD is a mental illness that studies indicate is more common than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but is rarely diagnosed because of misperceptions in the mental health field, and the challenges of providing a proper treatment plan, Zanarini said.

She said the disorder is marked by difficulties with relationships and self-image and controlling moods and emotions.

Marshall, who believes his treatment will help him better cope with his moods, has told the Dolphins of his diagnosis and said he is telling his story to create more awareness of BPD and better treatment for the disorder.

“By no means am I all healed or fixed,” Marshall told the newspaper, “but it’s like a light bulb has been turned on in my dark room.”

Marshall said Dolphins teammate Ricky Williams suggested he seek help at McLean after a Marshall outburst during a team meeting. Williams also received treatment at the hospital for his personal struggles.

Marshall said he first held sessions over the phone before visiting Boston every few weeks in January and February to meet with clinicians. Marshall said the April altercation that led to his wife Michi Nogami-Marshall’s arrest only reinforced that he needed more intense treatment.

“It wasn’t till I got here that I understood why I was so unhappy, why I was so miserable,” Marshall told the paper. “But understanding is merely the beginning of the journey.”

Marshall said he met four hours daily this summer with clinicians and fellow BPD patients, learning to cope with his emotions.

“Anytime there’s conflict it’s a challenge,” Marshall said. “What I’m feeling or trying to get across is right, but I’m reacting wrong. My actions or what I’m saying is not effective or productive and it makes the situation worse.”

The charges against his wife have been dropped but Marshall admits his marriage is not repaired. He insisted, however, that he is determined to make improvements in every facet of his life.

“Before this ordeal I kept asking God to show me my purpose. He gave me this,” said Marshall, who caught 86 passes for 1,014 yards and three touchdowns last season. “I’ll be the face of BPD. I’ll make myself vulnerable if it savessomeone’s life because I know what I went through this summer helped save mine.”

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Amy Winehouse found dead at 27

Bon Dobbs — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:46:36 +0000

It appears that Amy Winehouse has joined the “dead at 27″ music crowd (Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, others). It’s sad and unfortunate. She was #1 on my BPD-o-meter because of her erratic behavior.

Singer Amy Winehouse Found Dead

London (CNN) — Singer Amy Winehouse was found dead at her apartment in London Saturday, the UK Press Association reported. She was 27.

London police said they were called to a home, which matches Winehouse’s address, Saturday afternoon in response to “a woman found deceased.”

“On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene,” a police statement said.

“At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained,” police said.

The “Rehab” singer had a history of battling drugs and alcohol and recently left a British rehabilitation program that a representative said was intended to prepare her for scheduled European concerts.

But she cut short the European concert tour in Belgrade, Serbia, last month after she staggered around the stage and stumbled through several songs.

Audience members booed Winehouse off the stage that night just a few songs into the first concert of the tour.

Winehouse rep Tracey Miller told CNN at the time that the singer “agreed with management that she cannot perform to the best of her ability and will return home.”

“Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen,” representative Chris Goodman said in a statement in May.

Winehouse’s throaty vocals brought the British musician stardom in 2007, but her off-stage life gained her notoriety. The lyrics of her songs, especially the hit “Rehab,” chronicled her troubled life.

The song, in which she sang “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no,” helped form the public’s view of Winehouse.

“I don’t care enough about what people think of me to conform to anything,” she said in a CNN interview.

Winehouse, born in London in 1983, became a picture of a tattooed teenage rebel after she was expelled from a prestigious performing arts school.

Her first album, “Frank,” debuted in 2003, when the singer-songwriter was 19.

International success came with her 2007 album “Back To Black,” which in included the single “Rehab.”

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Amy Winehouse pops up on the BPD-o-meter again

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:55:34 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything about Amy Winehouse or any celebrity for that matter. I saw this article and thought I’d post the info. Sounds like she has some impulse control issues.

Amy Winehouse was spotted buying a bottle of vodka on her way to treatment at The Priory hospital in Southgate.

The troubled and talent singer, Amy Winehouse, made headlines yet again this week after purchasing a bottle of Vodka from a local retailer. Winehouse who is known for hits including ‘Valerie’ and ‘Rehab’ was spotted entering Meadway Food and Wine in North London’s Southgate area where she bought and downed a bottle of Smirnoff. The star, who has been the focus of considerable media attention following an ongoing battle with drink and drugs, was on her way to The Priory where she is being treated for her addictions.

An onlooker, who saw the events in question, confessed to being stunned by Winehouse who slurred her words as she entered the shop premises at 12.30pm last Wednesday. “I was shocked to see her buy vodka so early in the day”, said a witness, “and even more shocked to see her knock it straight back.” Other customers at the site also reported hearing the singer vomit before walking out of the shop whilst announcing that she had “puked” all over the bathroom. “I felt really sorry for the staff”, said a source.

A spokesman for the 27 year old living legend confirmed that the singer was in the area to undergo a period of rehabilitation at the private mental health institution. A Statement issued on behalf of the star insisted that Winehouse had not been sick but was simply making a “joke”. “Amy’s embarked on treatment at The Priory,” the statement concluded. Fans of the singer will be hoping to see the star on the road to recovery in the very near future.

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Interesting Statement from Judge in Lindsay Lohan Case

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:26:59 +0000

Lindsay Lohan’s judge makes a statement about Lilo:

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

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First Search on IAAHF

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:41:06 +0000

I coined the phrase “It’s All About His/Her Feelings” (IAAHF) as a mentalization tool to understand the MOTIVATION behind much of the confusing behavior of those with BPD. Last week, I got the first search engine search on IAAHF. See below:

IAAHF

As you can see, I also get lots of searches on “famous people” or “celebrities” with BPD. I only post those types of articles to relate to those with BPD and their families that perhaps they are not alone in their struggles – perhaps (again it’s a maybe because the closest celebrity to actually come out and say he/she has BPD is Megan Fox – who speculated about it).

I’ve written a lot about IAAHF here. I also explain the concept and how it relates to validation skills in the I-AM-MAD communication skill. The concept of IAAHF is extremely important to fully understand if a non-BPD is going to understand what is going on in the emotionally dysregulated moments (EDMs). It takes some time to understand and to truly “get” it. For me, it was one to the most valuable perspectives on BPD and emotional dysregulation.

Sometimes, however, nons have a problem with this concept because they misinterpret it. Here is a brief note from “When Hope is Not Enough” (the second edition, on which I am working) about IAAHF:

I found that many people bristle at the idea that it’s “all about” the borderline’s feelings. Sometimes this formulation makes the Non-BPD’s ask: what about my feelings? (which, in a way, is a reformulation of “what about me?”). The intention of this concept is for you to understand the motivation of behavior, not the entire landscape of the relationship. There will be times in which the context of the relationship is about your feelings. Yet, when the “crazy” behavior takes place, it is most often motivated by dysregulated feelings and emotions. The purpose and intent of the behavior is to quell those feelings, even if it seems as if it’s your fault that those feelings exist. To understand and use this attitude properly, you have to remember that it’s (the behavior) is all about (motivated by) his/her feelings (dysregulated emotions that require calming/quelling of pain).

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Charlie Sheen and Borderline Personality Disorder

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:48:39 +0000

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.

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Fox News Mental Health Guy Gets It Wrong on Lindsay Lohan

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:15:12 +0000

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.

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Why would Lindsay Lohan shoplift?

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:29:06 +0000

Well, obviously her shoplifting is alleged at this point. There is a TMZ article about things (other than the necklace) that she allegedly took. And another one regarding a fur coat that she wore and about which she had to settle a complaint against her for that. On these pages, I have analyzed the behavior of Lindsay and made the suggestion that she has borderline personality disorder. I am not a doctor, a diagnostic expert or have I ever actually met with Ms. Lohan. I am a person who is familiar with BPD and I have met numerous individuals with BPD and their families. Shoplifting can be a feature of borderline personality disorder. A question answered by Dr. Leland Heller about shoplifting and BPD says this:

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.

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Anna Nicole Smith and BPD

Bon Dobbs — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:05:50 +0000

Article that mentions BPD and Anna Nicole Smith….

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.”

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Britney Spears and Mel Gibson

Bon Dobbs — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:26:15 +0000

The only reason I posted this here is because Britney Spears actually started my foray into discussing Borderline Personality Disorder and celebrities. I only do it because I would like for some celeb to come out of the closet (or “off the couch”) and just admit that they have the disorder. To me it would go a long way to removing the stigma. The only one who has come close is Megan Fox. She mentioned borderline when referring to herself, but she has not been diagnosed – well, not that we know of. Anyway, old Mel Gibson seems to have some sort of disorder and some people have mentioned borderline. Now we have 2 potential BPD celebs talking with one another. I have to say though, Britney Spears certainly got the right (and skillful) people around her. We have not heard much about her “bad behavior” in years. Good for her!

Britney Spears counselling Mel Gibson

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.

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Lindsay Lohan and possible BPD (more detail this time)

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:24:20 +0000

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.

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Milton Bradley and BPD or something else

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:37:28 +0000

I have never posted on potential BPD of an athlete before. I think that there are probably athletes with BPD. Heck, if the NIAAA study is correct 5.9% of the adult population has had a life time incidence of BPD – it seems likely that there would be people of all stripes with the disorder. Anyway, a few weeks ago I read an article about Milton Bradley (the baseball player, not the game company). Here is the article… (I have bolded the parts that I find telling):

‘Committed’ Bradley returns to M’s after 2 weeks

SEATTLE (AP) -Milton Bradley’s hiatus from the Seattle Mariners is over.

His process of getting help to deal with what baseball’s self-described bad guy called “stressors, unpleasant thoughts and feelings I’ve been having” is not.

Bradley rejoined the Mariners on Wednesday, after two weeks of counseling for personal issues and anger. He had his fourth two-hit game of the season in a 3-2 loss to Toronto,“I don’t have all the answers. I’m not saying I’m cured,” Bradley said in a clubhouse meeting room before the game.

He made a brief statement then answered one question before a team spokesman ended the session.

“I’m working ever so hard, and I’m committed to this process,” Bradley said. “It’s going to be an ongoing thing. It’s the best thing for me. I’m glad I took this time.”

The Mariners – his eighth team in 10 seasons – reinstated him from the restricted list they had placed him on May 5.

That was a day after the man who in spring training called himself the Kanye West of baseball erupted when manager Don Wakamatsu removed him from a game following two strikeouts. Bradley was not in the clubhouse when the team returned after another loss during what’s been a miserable season so far.

The next day, the 32-year-old Bradley came to Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik asking them to help him.

“I’m just going to focus on ball again. I’m glad to take this time to give you guys some foresight into what is going on, as much as I can,” Bradley said Wednesday. “I’m just glad to be back with the guys playing ball again. And we’re going to focus on that. Thank you.”

Bradley is in the second year of a $30 million, three-year contract the Chicago Cubs gave him before one failed season with them in 2009.

The Mariners agreed with him that two weeks didn’t erase the slugger’s battle with his emotions.

“It’s early in the whole process. It will be ongoing, certainly,” Zduriencik said. “We’re not going to solve it overnight.”

This is not the first time Bradley has undergone anger management in baseball. The Dodgers ordered him to do so during his two-season stint with them. That was after he got a five-game suspension for slamming a plastic bottle at the feet of a fan in the right-field seats at Dodger Stadium in 2004 after someone had thrown it on the field.

The sinking Mariners, desperate for run production, didn’t ease Bradley back. They had him playing left field and batting sixth against Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil.

Cecil was providing the first live pitching Bradley has seen since May 4 – a night Seattle and Bradley hope proves to be the pivotal one of his mercurial career.

Bradley got a warm, brief ovation from Wednesday night’s small crowd as he stepped to the plate for the first time, in the second inning. He tapped hellos to the plate umpire and Toronto catcher John Buck, fouled off a couple of two-strike pitches, then struck out swinging.

Grinding out at-bats of seven and eight pitches, he later had a broken-bat and an infield single.

“I’m excited to be back and glad to be part of the team again,” Bradley said. “I’d like to thank the organization for their support, and for them allowing me this time to get myself together and get back on track and get some help for the stressors – things that I’ve been creating, the unpleasant thoughts and feelings I’ve been having and get better focus on the game I love.”

He particularly thanked Seattle’s fans for the “overwhelming” amount of mail and cards of support he said he’s received from them.

He said the city’s people have stopped him on the street to offer encouragement, a continuation of what he has said is the best and most supportive environment he’s been in during his news making career.

A month ago, he flipped off heckling fans in Arlington, Texas, during a game against his former team.

Wakamatsu said Bradley’s return gave his teammates a needed “buzz.”

“I’m just glad to be here,” Bradley said after the game. “They know – I let them know – how excited I was to be back.”

Asked if he had a goal to be a catalyst for a team 12 games under .500 and in dire need of one, Bradley shook his head. Instead he talked of a new resolve, born from two weeks of counseling.

“My goal is to conduct myself in a professional manner and represent this organization well,” he said.

Seattle optioned reliever Sean White to Triple-A Tacoma to make roster room for Bradley, a 2008 All-Star with Texas.

Wakamatsu said he intends to play Bradley in left field against left-handed pitchers and at designated hitter against right-handers. That would further limit slumping, 40-year-old Ken Griffey Jr.’s playing time.

Griffey entered Wednesday batting .185 and without a home run in 92 at-bats this season. Including last season, he is four at-bats shy of the longest homerless drought of his career – 101 in 1990.

By GREGG BELL AP Sports Writer

No one can diagnose anyone else with BPD or anything else from afar. I only post these things to let people know that BPD (or BPD-like behavior) shows up in all walks of life – including celebrities, actors and athletes.

No related posts.

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New for May – Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:28:36 +0000

As many of you know May is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. In 2008, I posted the text of the Congressional bill that declared this. Click on that link to read the text of the bill. One of the things that struck me in this bill was this:

Whereas BPD is inheritable and is exacerbated by environmental factors;

Unfortunately, the sponsor of this bill “Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia” is no longer in the Congress. I wonder why he proposed and sponsored such a bill? I wonder if he has been affected by BPD in his family. I guess I need to do some Googling to see if I can discover the reason.

May 18th is also the 30th anniversary of the suicide of Ian Curtis. I wrote about him some time ago and have had a big uptick in searches on him this month.

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Courtney Love loses custody of her daughter

Bon Dobbs — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:59:51 +0000

An article “clarifying” the latest Courtney Love custody decision…

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.

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Megan Fox and Borderline Personality Disorder Reexamined

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:59:23 +0000

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.

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Megan Fox, a new celeb on the BPD-o-meter

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:39:35 +0000

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
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Courtney Love’s BPD-meter now getting in the red zone

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:24:25 +0000

It’s been a while since I wrote a post about a celebrity with possible BPD. To see past posts about celebrities with BPD (possible but not for sure) click here. I saw a picture a few days ago of Courtney Love. Geez, someone give the girl a pound cake and make sure she eats it. While Courtney herself says it’s the financial stress, it sure looks a lot like an eating disorder. Here is an article about it…

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

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The Octomom, Kate Gosselin and the need for love

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:57:47 +0000

I haven’t written anything about either Nadya Suleman or Kate Gosselin in my blog, because I really don’t know that much about either of them. However, recently I have been watching each of them a bit and trying to figure out what the heck is up with them. Each has a multitude of children, conceived by in-vitro. Each seems to desire public approval/affection. I am not suggesting either of them has Borderline personality Disorder (BPD), because I don’t know enough about either to suggest that that condition (of which I write about in this blog) is even suspected in either. I have seen others suggest a variety of conditions for each of them including BPD (and NPD), but I just don’t know.

The reason I am posting this message though is because both of them seem to have a craving for affection, attachment and love. It appears to me that each had all these children such that they could be unconditionally loved by as many people as possible. I wonder what happened in their childhood (or if anything happened) that would drive this strong desire to have as many children as they have had.

Courtney Love loses custody of her daughter

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Lindsay Lohan and BPD (maybe but not for sure)

Bon Dobbs — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:20:31 +0000

OK readers, now is the time to revisit Lindsay (I think I was spelling her first name wrong for a while there) Lohan and possible BPD. She has all of the classic signs of the disorder. I was struck by this quote:

“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?

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Angelina Jolie Tops the List of Searched On Celeb Borderlines

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:06:59 +0000

Alrighty then! I did an analysis of the keyword searches that reached the ATSTP blog. Unfortunately, the readers are searching on celebrity-related BPD searches more and more. People trying to figure out which celebrity has BPD (or self-harms) represented a whopping 68% of my total searches in the past 30 days of those search strings that occurred 5 times or more. It is too cumbersome for me to do analysis of more than those (there were 3800+ of those and 5800+ of all search strings). Of the celebrity-related searches, I created a little graph (below). As you can see, Angelina Jolie wins the “borderline bonanza” with 18%+ of the searches, followed by Britney Spears and Kurt Cobain. Others* include Pete Doherty, Hitler, Courtney Love and Heather Mills. The runners-up were Amy Winehouse and Princess Diana. General means there was no name mentioned, just “celebrity BPD” or something like that.

Celebrity Searches on ATSTP

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Dr. Drew tells us some celebrities have mental illnesses

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:56:54 +0000

Duh! Anyway, here is an article from Wired about celebrities and mental illness:

Celebrities’ bad behavior is rooted in mental illness, according to “Dr. Drew” Pinsky, who is best known as the host of Celebrity Rehab and Loveline — a nationally syndicated radio show that invites listeners to call in with questions about sex and drugs.

In his latest book, The Mirror Effect (on bookstore shelves Tuesday), he spells out a theory that stars are predisposed to narcissistic personality disorder long before they become famous. Their dysfunctional behavior is rewarded by Hollywood and portrayed as normal by the press.

“As reporting on celebrity behavior becomes even more ruthless and mean-spirited, I am struck by this disconnect between how a
celebrity’s behavior is portrayed in the media, and the very real problems that underlie their actions,” wrote Pinsky.

He argues that the media fails to acknowledge that celebrities are mentally ill when holding them up as role models, so everyday people have begun to emulate their unhealthy behavior.

In 2006, Pinsky and his co-author Mark Young published the first systematic study of celebrity psychology in the Journal of Research in Personality. The new book explains that research and how it fits into the larger context of our culture, which they argue has been soiled by shameless producers, agents and paparazzi.

The first three chapters read like a history textbook, recapping famous celebrity mishaps and an era when those unfortunate episodes were carefully hidden from the public. It gives readers a glimpse of just how conservative Pinsky really is. He seems to prefer the good old days when movie studios were able to keep Rock Hudson in the closet.

The celebrity doctor is not a fan of MySpace or Facebook either, because they allow people to seek attention by acting out like celebrities — posting provocative pictures and personal stories about irresponsible behavior.

“Without appropriate monitoring, these social networking platforms are subject to abuse by those who are most vulnerable to the endless feedback loop they create,” wrote Pinsky. “This is known as an urge/compulsion/reinforcement cycle, and it’s very similar to what happens to those who crave drugs or other addictive substances.”

After that rather stiff introduction, the book becomes a psychology lesson with celebrities as examples.

Pinsky seems fond of interpreting behavior in the light of evolution, and gave this explanation for the asinine stunts performed by Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O on the show Jackass.

“Some have speculated that such acting out may be deeply rooted in our genes, as a way to display genetic prowess and adaptability,” wrote Pinsky. “In this theory, males (in particular) who survive dangerous stunts are displaying their biological capacity to survive in adversity.”

In their 2006 study, Pinsky and Young found that celebrities from reality television score the highest on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Pinsky is convinced that the producers of those shows carefully select contestants with psychological problems, because they will bring extra drama to each show.

“Having served as a consultant to several reality shows, I know what the producers are looking for in contestants,” wrote Pinsky. “The standards regarding mental health are extremely fluid.”

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Ian Curtis and BPD (or another disorder)

Bon Dobbs — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:25:12 +0000

Rarely do you find an individual artist who expresses his/her emotions and pain as clearly as did Ian Curits. He was the lead singer and song writer for the band Joy Division. In May of 1980, two days before their first U.S. tour, Curtis hung himself in his kitchen. Joy Division reformed as New Order and had a major impact on dance/rock music. But Joy Division was an amazing band. Curtis’ lyrics read like a suicide note. He had epilepsy and the medication he was taking for it supposedly depressed him. The lyrics on their two albums (Unknown Pleasures and Closer) are fought with pain, shame and depression. Two years ago there was a bio-pic about Curits (“Control”) and a documentary about Joy Division. Again, rarely do you find someone who expresses his pain in such clear terms. Here is a sampling of Curtis’ lyrics:

Isolation

Mother I tried please belief me
I’m doing the best that I can
I’m ashamed of the things I’ve been put through
I’m ashamed of the person I am
Isolation, isolation, isolation

New Dawn Fades

Different colours, different shades
Over each mistakes were made
I took the blame
Directionless so plain to see
A loaded gun won’t set you free
So you say

Passover

Forgive and forget’s what they teach
Or pass through the desserts and wastelands once more
And watch as they drop by the beach
This is the crisis I knew had to come
Destroying the balance I’d kept
Turning around to the next set of lives
Wondering what will come next.

Atmosphere

Your confusion
My illusion
Worn like a mask of self-hate
Confronts and then dies
Don’t walk away

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What’s wrong with Jim Carroll?

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:26:16 +0000

Alrighty then… this has little to do with my subject (BPD), but I stumbled across a picture on wikipedia yesterday of Jim Carroll. I was writing a post on the ATSTP List about tough love. I will follow up here more on the tough love idea shortly, but I wanted to show how boundaries can be used in tough love, and about how those boundaries are for YOU, not for your loved one. In other words you have to enforce those boundaries for yourself. Boundaries are choices about what YOU will and will not do for/with/about your life and your loved ones. The best example of tough love that I could think of was a scene from “The Basketball Diaries” (the movie) which is based on the book by the same name by Carroll. I found the scene on YouTube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WktborljI_o

The actual scene starts at 5:35 and be careful there are some pretty graphic things before the 5:35 mark. The scene involves Carroll’s (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) mother not giving him money for drugs. Carroll is a heroin addict at the time. It’s worth seeing just to see tough love in action. If you watch you will see that the tough love is tough on both of them and, more importantly, the mother chooses to use her boundary (“I will not give my son money for drugs”), rather than try and control HIS behavior, which many people think boundaries and tough love are all about.

Anyway, I started looking into Carroll on wikipedia and stumbled across this picture of Carroll taken last year (ok, he’s only 57 in the photo).

Here is another photo taken of him in 2000 (when he was 50).

I mean, Jeez, what happened to him? Some have speculated heroin again, but it looks like meth or AIDS to me. Here’s a blog post about Carroll’s reading from last year. It’s just so sad.

Fox News Mental Health Guy Gets It Wrong on Lindsay Lohan

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Princess Di and BPD

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:22:40 +0000

I just recently started a new poll about which celeb is most likely to have had (or has) BPD. So far I go 5 votes – three for Princess Di. It has been acknowledged in her biography that she probably did have BPD. Can anyone imagine what her life must have been like if that was true? I mean, here is one of the most sought-after and most photographed person in history and she had (or might have had) an unstable self-imagine? I can only imagine what she went through. If course she was killed in a tunnel in France, but I would have expected her to kill herself with all the pressures she had to have been faced with. Her life must have been hell. And I expect the royal family had little understanding of her emotional issues. So Sad.

Princess Di and Borderline Personality Disorder

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Mindy McCready Pops Up Again on the BPD-o-meter

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:18:39 +0000

Mindy McCready, of whom I have recently written regarding BPD, attempted suicide again…

Newsday.com

Mindy McCready in hospital after another suicide try

BY ROBERT KAHN

December 18, 2008

Anguished country crooner Mindy McCready has been hospitalized after what appears to be her second suicide attempt this year.

McCready, who was treated at a Texas rehab center this summer after an attempt to kill herself, was taken to a Nashville hospital yesterday morning with wounds to her wrists, according to local police officials.

The attempt comes at the end of a tumultuous year for the 33-year-old singer, who went public in April with claims that she was the other woman in an adulterous affair with superstar pitcher Roger Clemens. Clemens has never acknowledged such a relationship took place.

-Click here to see photos of Mindy McCready through the years

Nashville police last night said that McCready, whose legal first name is Malinda, called her assistant, Brent Young, at 7:50 a.m. to say she needed him to come over, because “she had done something bad.” Young arrived at 10:15 a.m. “and discovered that she had cut her wrists and taken several pills.” McCready was taken to Centennial Hospital, according to the report.

McCready’s attorney, Lee Offman, told Newsday last night that he was “still trying to gather details.” A call to Clemens’ agent, Randy Hendricks, was not immediately returned.

As recently as last month, McCready was publicly discussing the alleged affair with Clemens. “Carrying on a relationship with him is not something I’m proud of,” McCready said on the syndicated program “Inside Edition.”

McCready met Clemens at a Florida karaoke bar when she was 15 and he was 28. She has said her attraction to the athlete was instant.

“He treated me like a princess,” she said. McCready says the relationship did not become intimate until several years later. Her mother has said she believes the pair shared a “platonic” friendship.

Clemens has only apologized for “mistakes” in his personal life. Congress this year held hearings on the baseball pitcher’s alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. Even as she attempted to refocus on her music career, McCready was interviewed by FBI agents for Clemens’ perjury investigation.

McCready suffered what she called a “nervous breakdown” in July and entered into rehab. After her release in September, she told reporters she was excited about recording a new CD.

The singer, who was once engaged to ” Superman” actor Dean Cain, has written a song about the tumultuous past few years in her life, “I’m Still Here.”

A prescription drug problem has landed her in jail twice. She most recently served time for violating probation after a drug arrest. Last month, she told “Inside Edition” she was optimistic about her future. “Redemption is out there for everybody to get, and just watch me. I’m gonna show you how to do it.”

-Click here to see photos of Mindy McCready through the years

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

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Angelina Jolie and Borderline Personality Disorder (again)

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:14:10 +0000

I recently stumbled over this quote about Angelina Jolie. I have written about Angelina twice concerning BPD: here and here. This quote is from a mental health professional that understood that Angelina was actually diagnosed with BPD in the 90s. I don’t know who actually posted this message, because the profile seems to be gone, but it backs up some things I said about Ms. Jolie:

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.

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Mindy McCready and BPD

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:01:36 +0000

I’m not much of a country music fan, but I have stumbled upon Mindy McCready, who I suspect has BPD (again, I’m not a doctor or have I ever met her so this is an arm-chair analysis). Here are some possible clues:

Suicidal Tendencies

In May 2005, McCready’s ex-boyfriend, Billy McKnight, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after beating and choking McCready. The following July, McCready was found unconscious in a hotel lobby in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida after attempting suicide. She was hospitalized for a drug overdose after washing down a large amount of undisclosed drugs with alcohol. That September, McCready, who was then pregnant with McKnight’s child, attempted suicide for a second time by overdosing on antidepressants.

Substance Abuse

In August 2004, McCready was arrested in Tennessee for using a fake prescription to buy the painkiller OxyContin. Although she initially denied the charge, she pleaded guilty and was fined $4,000, sentenced to three years probation, and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
In May 2005, she was stopped by Nashville police for speeding and then arrested and charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. A jury later found her not guilty on the charges of DUI, but guilty of driving with a suspended license. That July, she was charged in Arizona with identity theft, unlawful use of transportation, unlawful imprisonment, and hindering prosecution.

Difficult Relationships

In May 2005, McCready’s ex-boyfriend, Billy McKnight, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after beating and choking McCready.

Inappropriate Sexual Behavior

In April 2008, the New York Daily News reported on a possible long-term relationship between McCready and baseball star Roger Clemens that began when she was 15 years old.

Clemens’ attorney Rusty Hardin denied the affair and also stated that Clemens would be bringing a defamation suit regarding this false allegation. Clemens’ attorney admitted that a relationship existed, but described McCready as a “close family friend”. He also stated that McCready had traveled on Clemens’ personal jet and that Clemens’ wife was aware of the relationship. However, McCready confirmed the relationship as being sexual in nature.

On November 17, 2008, McCready spoke in more detail to Inside Edition about her affair with Clemens. She stated that their relationship lasted for more than a decade, and that it ended when Clemens refused to leave his wife to marry McCready. However, she denied that she was fifteen years old when it began, saying that they met when she was sixteen and the affair only became sexual “several years later”.

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David Foster Wallace and Toxic Self-Consciousness

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:12:26 +0000

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. I think being shy basically means
being self-absorbed to the point that it makes it difficult to be around
other people. For instance, if I’m hanging out with you, I can’t even
tell whether I like you or not because I’m too worried about whether or
not you like me. (David Foster Wallace)

You see, I often hear Non-BPs (the loved ones and family members of people with BPD) tell me that they feel that their loved one with BPD is extremely “selfish” or very “Narcissistic.” I always try to caution them on this statement because, when someone is in pain, yes, they will tend to look inward, but it’s not selfishness or Narcissism, in my opinion. It’s the ravages of deep shame and shyness that cause people with BPD to take such a view of the world. A person with BPD will dread the judgment, punishment and/or disapproval of other people. That is the kind of self-consciousness that is present in BPD.

To further follow up on this idea, here is a quote from me to a member of the ATSTP list from about two years ago. I was responding to the “lack of empathy” that his significant other (SO) was showing toward him:

It is frustrating and part of it seems very selfish on their part. My
wife actually showed sympathy for me this morning – I had a bit of an
upset stomach, so she said “I hope you feel better” a couple of times.
Of course, initially she thought I was mad at her or something (there
was still a lingering feeling that it was about her).

I also think there’s a step beyond empathy, and that’s compassion. I
think if you look at the spectrum of understanding for other people
you have something like self-centeredness (but not necessarily
positive) – pity – sympathy – empathy – compassion. (and there’s
probably a bunch of feelings in-between. The spectrum seems to run
from extreme self-interest to selflessness, of course, I could be
wrong on all of that – just an idea. It is easy to have compassion and
unconditional love for your kids, but for your SO it can be more
difficult because there are expectations on each side of the equation.
When your SO doesn’t live up to those expectations, even if they are
simple consideration, it is disappointing. I know it is difficult with
my wife as well – some of the time. Even my kids are wary of my wife’s
behavior at times.

I wonder if our SO’s don’t have much understanding of other people’s
pain because of the judgment factor. Perhaps they believe that
with “understanding” comes a level of judgment at least for
themselves. Or it could be that they believe no one actually
understands them, so the process of understanding others is pointless.

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Kurt Cobain and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:34:51 +0000

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.

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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 pain killers (of which heroin is one), is not uncommon with BPD (sometimes called “Bellman’s Syndrome”).

His heroin use eventually began affecting the band’s support of Nevermind, with Cobain passing out during photo shoots. One memorable example came the day of the band’s 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live, where Nirvana had a shoot with photographer Michael Levine. Having shot up beforehand, Cobain nodded off several times during the shoot. Regarding the shoot, Cobain related to biographer Michael Azerrad, “I mean, what are they supposed to do? They’re not going to be able to tell me to stop. So I really didn’t care. Obviously to them it was like practicing witchcraft or something. They didn’t know anything about it so they thought that any second, I was going to die.”

Eating Disorder (or chronic pain leading to one)

Kurt Cobain had a chronic, undiagnosed stomach disorder from which he developed an eating disorder, being unable to keep down food.

Throughout most of his life, Cobain battled chronic bronchitis and intense physical pain due to an undiagnosed chronic stomach condition. This last condition was especially debilitating to him emotionally, and he spent years trying to find its cause. However, none of the doctors he consulted were able to pinpoint the specific cause, guessing that it was either a result of Cobain’s childhood scoliosis or related to the stresses of performing.

Volatile Relationships

His relationship with Courtney Love was volatile. He also had volatile relationships with others in his band and with managers and ex-girlfriends.

Love arranged an intervention concerning Cobain’s drug use that took place on March 25. The ten people involved included musician friends, record company executives, and one of Cobain’s closest friends, Dylan Carlson. But Bassist Krist Novoselic tipped him off as he considered the idea to be “stupid”. However, by the end of the day, Cobain had agreed to undergo a detox program. Krist Novoselic drove him to the airport to catch his flight, but Cobain was far from wanting to go, in a fit of panic, Cobain drew violence and the two fought at the airport, eventually Cobain freed himself and ran through the airport lobby screaming “fuck you”, this would be the last time Krist would see Kurt alive.

Shame and Unstable Self Image

His lyrics probably do the best for this…

All Apologies:
I wish I was like you
Easily amused
Find my nest of salt
Everything is my fault
I’ll take all the blame
Aqua seafoam shame
Sunburn, freezeburn
Choking on the ashes of her enemy

Dumb:
I’m not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I’m having funI think I’m dumb
Or maybe just happy

Radio Friendly Unit Shifter:
What is wrong with me?
What is what I need
What do I think I think?

This had nothing to do with what you think
If you ever think at all
Bi-polar opposites attract
All of a sudden my water broke
I love you for what I am not
Did not want what I have got
Blanket acne’d with cigarette burns
Speak at once while taking turns

And of course, there are probably twenty more examples in his various lyrics. The only other musician that I can think of off the top of my head who consistently used the words “shame” and “I’ll take the blame” is Ian Curtis (Joy Division’s lead singer who also committed suicide).

Suicide Attempts

I think these go without saying, considering his eventual actual suicide. But we know of at least one other:

Following a tour stop at Terminal Eins in Munich, Germany, on March 1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis. He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife on March 3. The next morning, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol (Love had a prescription for Rohypnol filled after arriving in Rome). Cobain was immediately rushed to the hospital, and spent the rest of the day unconscious. After five days in the hospital, Cobain was released and returned to Seattle. Love later stated that the incident was Cobain’s first suicide attempt.

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Amy Winehouse Threatens Suicide

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:21:04 +0000

Well, Amy Winehouse is in the news again. This type she supposedly threatened suicide. Some times it makes you wonder if she or Pete Doherty will be the first U.K. celeb with (possible) BPD to burn out completely. Here an article from “Now” (who knows how much truth there is to it though):

Amy Winehouse threatens to kill herself

Singer on 24-hour watch by worried friends

Monday, 6 October 2008

Amy Winehouse is said to be on suicide watch after she allegedly threatened to stab herself.

The singer is thought to have been pushed further downhill after her husband Blake Fielder-Civil rejected an offer of parole last month – because he didn’t want to stay with his mum Georgette Civil or wear an electronic tag.

Amy, 25, apparently held a knife to her chest in front of friends.

‘She said she was “caught up in a nightmare”,’ a source tells the Daily Star. ‘Her friends managed to get the knife away from her but are now holding a 24-hour watch on her.

‘Her emotions are exaggerated. She is either high as a kite or, when she hears something she doesn’t like, she is suicidal.’

Blake, 26, is being held at Edmunds Hill Prison after he was found guilty of GBH and attempting to pervert the course of justice. It is now thought that he has accepted another offer of early release.

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Britney Agrees to Sole Custody for K-Fed

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:44:27 +0000

Britney Spears has given up custody of her sons…

Britney Agrees to Sole Custody for K-Fed

Claudia Rosenbaum

Fri Jul 18, 3:47 AM ET

Britney Spears has agreed to hand the parenting reins over to Kevin Federline.

K-Fed’s longtime attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, exclusively tells E! News the divorced duo have reached a settlement in their long-gestating custody case.

According to the agreement signed by all parties, Federline gets sole legal and physical custody of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James and Spears will have visitation rights.

“The case has been settled,” Kaplan said. “The court still has to approve it. ” Both parties are due in court Friday morning.

The case had been set to go to trial next month but all had been hoping to settle up beforehand.

“As of this evening there is a fully executed deal memo…All the issues that would have been addressed at trial have been settled,” Kaplan told E! News. “Can’t speak to the exact terms of the deal, [but the] orders in place…will stay in place.”

Although this is theoretically good news for Federline, Kaplan maintains it isn’t exactly what his client had in mind.

“Kevins was not [out] to get custody. Kevin’s goal was to set up some kind of template so the mother of his children can coparent,” Kaplan said.

“He said, ‘I need to have Britney to be involved in the coparenting of the kids, but I need there to be a structure.’ ”

But this is the structure he got, and “Kevin is absolutely delighted,” Kaplan continued.

“Nobody could have anticipated the terms of events that have occurred…This was a two-year journey that will be halted at a point that is good for these children. Custody is always modifiable. If there is a final order, it means there is nothing to try.”

Spears has been enjoying monitored visits with her boys since late February after temporarily losing any on-hand-mommying privileges following a stretch of noticeably erratic behavior on her part and two brief hospital stays.

Federline’s camp has credited the influence of Spears’ father, Jamie, who was appointed a coconservator of his daughter’s estate Feb. 1, for helping to get the 26-year-old popster back on track.

A court commissioner is scheduled to review whether to make the conservatorship permanent at the end of this month. If the arrangement were to end, what then happens to Spears’ current deal?

“While I can’t tell you the terms, the order does anticipate what happens if the conservatorship is ended,” Kaplan told E! News. “The devil is always in the details, and this is a very detailed deal memo.

“Nobody can predict what the future will bring, but to the extent possible, I think we have really anticipated how to proceed.”

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Andy Dick… Wow, what a mess

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:49:32 +0000

Well, I haven’t written anything EVER about Andy Dick… but I read an article today that puts him high on the celebrity BPD meter… I also watch the YouTube clip of him being thrown off of Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Here is the article and the clip:

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.

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Heather Locklear checks into in-patient facility

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:51:39 +0000

Press is reporting Heather Locklear checked into a mental facility for an eval. Wonder if they’ll disclose the diagnosis?

Admitted for depression

Vicki Salemi

Heather Locklear has checked herself into an in-patient treatment facility in Arizona. The quintessential evening soap opera vixen is on the road to recovery. And no, it’s not for substance abuse.

As for the reason? To deal with issues of anxiety, depression, and to re-evaluate her current condition. We give props to the 46 year-old actress who apparently recently switched doctors and is taking a pro-active stance towards her mental health. The new doc recommended that her condition and medication be re-evaluated.

While her publicist confirmed that Heather’s been dealing with anxiety and depression, it seems she’s taking it head on: by entering the facility she’ll get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Actually, a few months ago paramedics were called to her home. Her psychiatrist called 9-1-1 and told authorities there was concern for a possible overdose attempt on prescription meds. Well, paramedics left her home extremely quickly after arrival and deemed everything was all right.

As for the back story, last year her ex-husband and Bon Jovi band member Richie Sambora stayed in a treatment facility last year. Their ten year-old daughter Ava is staying with family at the moment.

Best wishes, Heather!

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Amy Winehouse should switch to crack with vitamins

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:53:00 +0000

So, it turns out that smoking crack is bad for you…

Cocaine ‘damaged Winehouse’s lungs’

Amy Winehouse could struggle to catch her breath and hit high notes as a result of suffering emphysema, a lung expert has said.

The singer’s father spoke out at the weekend about his worries that Winehouse could lose her life unless she kicks her drug habit.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mitch Winehouse said his daughter – who was rushed to hospital recently after collapsing – had developed the chronic lung disease emphysema, possibly brought on by smoking crack cocaine.

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Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse Friends – a match made in heaven?

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:46:52 +0000

Well, I found out today that Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty are hanging out together. Wow! What a match. Amy is leading my celeb-o-meter of possible celebrities with BPD, and Pete has (maybe) jumped to the head of the line and pinned the meter with his blood paintings, self-harm, drug usage and you name what else. I guess there’s some sort of attraction to someone like you. According to most sites, it’s platonic – but would can have sex after doing a boat load of drugs anyway?

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Britney not fit to go to court

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:08:41 +0000

CNN reports:

Attorney: Spears not fit enough to take part in probate case

* Story Highlights
* Britney Spears’ attorney says the pop star is not ready to participate in court
* Lawyer told court Thursday that Spears’ medical condition is “fluid”
* Spears’ probate case scheduled to go to trial July 31

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Britney Spears is not yet fit to participate in court proceedings in her conservatorship case, her lawyer told a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner Thursday.

Samuel Ingham, Spears’ court-appointed attorney, and attorneys for the pop star’s father and conservator, James Spears, spent 90 minutes in Commissioner Reva Goetz’ chambers.

Ingham told the court afterward that Spears’ medical condition is “fluid” because her treatment is changing.

Spears’ probate case is scheduled to go to trial July 31, but Ingham said it could be “harmful” for her to participate. Goetz agreed and said Spears’ diagnosis is not complete.

The 26-year-old singer and her estate have been under the conservatorship of her father for four months.

I’d say that’s code for “she’s acting nutty again.” They probably don’t want to release that she’s got BPD. “Some form of bipolar” is likely to come up again. I mean, come on… she started this whole thing in January. How long does it take a team of doctors to diagnose her? Hmm?

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Time to Give Angelina Jolie a more detailed possible BPD analysis

Bon Dobbs — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:32:15 +0000

Since I did such a detailed analysis of Pete Doherty’s BPD-like behavior, I’d say it’s time to do the same sort of analysis with my other top 5 possible BP celebs.

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.

Self Injury

In June 2001 Rolling Stone she said that during her very early teens she started “thinking about not wanting to be around. It was when the reality of life set in, the reality of surviving.” Also, Angelina used to hurt herself during her early teens but stopped around the age of sixteen. She explained in a 2000 Maxim article, “You’re young, you’re crazy, you’re in bed and you’ve got knives. So shit happens.” But in 1999 Access Hollywood interview she explained it more in-depth, “I was..trying to feel something….I was looking at different things..thinking romantically about…about blood. I really hurt myself,” and also said, “I was just….a kid. I was like 13, And, I was saying that it is not something that is cool. Its not cool. And I understand that it is a cry for help…”

In a 2000 Jane interview she said, “This person asked me about cutting myself when they saw a scar. I’m very open, but because of that, people think that they know everything about me, and, actually, they don’t know anything. I say things that other people might go through. That’s what artists should do – throw things out there and not be perfect and not have answers for anything and see if people understand. But this person made the cutting sound interesting, like it was something I do now. [For the record, she did, but doesn't now, and doesn't endorse it.] And then I met somebody who said they’d seen movies of mine and then showed me where they had cut themselves. I had to explain, first off, not to do that. But it made me really fucking angry at the people who represent me in a way that would get that person to do that and show me. I don’t understand why people would want to use something so damaging. It’s like, let’s make me look ‘cool’ and worry a lot of people in my family.”

Suicidal Tendencies

“Yeah. I was in a New York hotel room,” Jolie says. She was going to use a knife and sleeping pills. In preparation, she wrote a note for the housekeeper asking her to call the police, so that the housekeeper wouldn’t have to suffer the distress of finding her body. Then Jolie spent the day walking around. She almost bought a kimono, then she realized how crazy that was. “I didn’t know if I could pull the final thing across my wrists,” she says. But it was the sleeping pill part of the equation that stopped her, at least on a practical level. Worried that she didn’t have enough, she had asked her mother to mail her some more, and she realized that her mother would feel responsible. She realized something else, too: “That we can make that decision any time. And I kind of lay there with myself and thought, `You might as well live a lot, really hard, and not give a shit, because you can always walk through that door.’ So I started to live as if I could die any day.”

The next day, she went back and bought the kimono.

Did you ever feel that low about living again?

Well, I had felt like that before. When I was thirteen or fifteen.”

Did you ever feel like acting on it?

“Yeah. It’s seems like there’s always been times. This is going to sound so insane, but there was a time when I realized I was going to have to hire somebody to kill me. It comes from a place of … With suicide comes the guilt of all the people around you thinking that they could have done something. With somebody being murdered, nobody takes some kind of guilty responsibility.”

Poor Self-Image

Later, Jolie frets about the ways she’s sometimes talked about. “I am fragile and fucked up. There are lots of things about my life in recent years that people don’t know anything about,” she says. “People assume . . . People have said things about me, they’ve said I’ve slept with my brother, they’ve said that I’m a drug addict and that all I do is get fucked up, and they’ve also made it seem like I’m some slut. I’m far from perfect as a person ….. She shakes her head.

Volatile Relationships

She tells me anyway. It was just before she and Thornton got married. She was sectioned for seventy-two hours at UCLA. “What happened,” she says, “is we didn’t know if we were going to be able to be together.” She pauses. “I remember him driving somewhere and not knowing if he was OK…. We had wanted to get married and then for all these different reasons we thought we couldn’t. We both were just … are just, it’s a beautiful kind of love, but it’s also a little insane, and I for some reason thought something had happened to him and I lost the ability to … I just went a little insane.”

Confused Sexuality

When Barbara Walters asked her if she was bisexual, Jolie responded: “Of course. If I fell in love with a woman tomorrow, would I feel that it’s okay to want to kiss and touch her? If I fell in love with her? Absolutely! Yes!” - July 2003

In an interview with Elle magazine, Jolie said: “Honestly, I like everything. Boyish girls, girlish boys, the heavy and the skinny. Which is a problem when I’m walking down the street.” – June 2000

Eating Disorder

The tattooed former wild child — who in her younger years battled an eating disorder and self-mutilation and later famously wore a necklace containing a drop of her then-husband Billy Bob Thornton’s blood…

Substance Abuse

A British tabloid newspaper has published images of a video which allegedly shows Angelina Jolie in a “drug den” with a woman who is openly smoking heroin.

The actress is shown in video images published in The Sun newspaper looking disheveled and wide-eyed as she smokes a cigarette and tells the camera of her past drug use. The video captures the star reportedly saying, “I’ve done coke, heroin, ecstasy, LSD, everything.”

Last month, it was reported by the National Enquirer a videotape of Jolie allegedly smoking and snorting heroin had been offered for sale for $70,000. But in this footage, thought to be taken in the 1990s when she was in her 20s, Jolie does not take drugs, telling the camera, “I gave them up long ago.”

Well, that’s it for now. I think an argument can be made for her impulsiveness (married 3 times) and for Brad Pitt’s impulsiveness too. I have to say though, she and Brad have much better management people than some other celebs. You don’t hear much now about her nutty behavior. She has found someone to control the press – something that Britney, Lindsey Lohan and others could learn a lesson from.

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Heather Mills to write “book” giving health advice

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:07:36 +0000

I read today that Heather Mills (on my standby list of celebs with possible BPD) is writing a “book” called “Get Healthy with Heather.” I really felt I had to put “book” in quotes because it’s only 64 pages – more of a booklet IMO. Personally, I think it should be called “Get Wealthy with Heather,” considering her $40 Million dollar settlement from Paul McCartney. Here is a gem of healthy wisdom from Heather:

Last November, she launched a campaign with vegetarian group Viva – which is also involved with her new book – encouraging people to drink rats’ and dogs’ milk to help save the planet.

Arguing that livestock creates more carbon emissions than transport, Heather suggested drinking the different milk could help cut global warming.

She said: “There are many other kinds of milk available. Why don’t we try drinking rats’ milk and dogs’ milk?”

Rats’ milk? Maybe she can show us how it’s done and drink it directly from the momma rat.

I wonder if her next book will be “Mental Health with Heather”? She needs some serious treatement for whatever condition she has. I find it sad that she is such a publicity hound. I guess her goody-goody reputation was impugned with all that nastiness with Paul. Maybe I need to do a long analysis of news stories to see where she lands on the celeb BPD-o-meter (hey, come to think of it, the celeb BPD-o-meter ain’t such a bad idea, hmmm…..). I know, I know, I’m pandering to the “celebrities with borderline personality disorder” crowd out there, but when 60% of my searches are about that subject, I guess I gotta feed the audience what they want (unless it’s rats’ milk – yuck!) – at least some of the time.

I do wish that some celeb would come out and be the face of BPD, maybe Sean Young? Her career needs a boost and some attention right now. And given that May IS BPD Awareness month, this would be a perfect opportunity for her (‘course I don’t KNOW she has BPD, but her behavior begs the question).

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Amy Winehouse is back in the news again

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:59:29 +0000

Well, she got arrested again….

Amy Winehouse arrested on suspicion of drugs possession

13 hours ago

LONDON (AP) — Amy Winehouse was arrested Wednesday in connection with a January video that allegedly shows her doing drugs at a party at her north London home.

London’s Metropolitan Police said the Grammy winner was released on so-called police bail following several hours of questioning at a police station in the city.

Winehouse’s spokesman, Chris Goodman, confirmed that his client had been arrested Wednesday and held in police custody to answer police questions.

“Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment. She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is cooperating fully with inquiries,” Goodman said in a statement.

“The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year,” he said.

Britain’s The Sun tabloid in January published still images from a video that it claimed showed Winehouse inhaling fumes from a small pipe. The images were said to have been filmed during a party at her home.

Winehouse, famous for her hit “Rehab,” has had a turbulent private life. Last month she was cautioned by police for assault after she slapped a man during a night out. That means no charges were filed, but the incident was placed on her record.

Shortly after The Sun published the photographs, Winehouse entered a London rehabilitation center.

Her release on police bail means she has not been charged with an offense, but that officers can recall her for more questioning at any time.

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Linsey Lohan’s mugshot used in liquor industry ad

Bon Dobbs — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:53:18 +0000

From CNN:

Lindsay Lohan is not exactly toasting her latest public appearance.

A mug shot of the 21-year-old actress, who has been in and out of rehab after two arrests last year on drunken driving and cocaine charges, was prominently featured Friday in an advertisement attacking legislation for devices that measure a driver’s blood alcohol level before their vehicle can start.

The full-page black-and-white ad appeared in USA Today on Friday and was paid for by the American Beverage Institute, a trade group that supports the interests of the alcohol industry. The ad reads “Ignition interlocks are a good idea for” above Lohan’s mug shot from her July 24, 2007, arrest and “But a bad idea for us” above smaller photos of people drinking.

“The reason that we used Lindsay Lohan is because she’s had multiple DUIs that have been high profile,” American Beverage Institute managing director Sarah Longwell told The Associated Press. “We needed to create the distinction for the public what someone with multiple DUIs looked like versus a low blood-alcohol-level first-time offender.”

Lawmakers in several states have passed bills that would require drunken driving offenders to pay for and install an ignition interlock system. Under many such laws, the interlock requirement extends to first-time offenders driving while “highly intoxicated” — or with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent or higher.

The ad suggested that ignition interlocks were fine for “hard-core” drunk drivers, but suggested they would bring an end to champagne toasts at weddings, wine at dinner and ballgame beers.

“USA Today is idiotic to run such an irresponsible advertisement suggesting that drinking and driving is some kind of American ‘tradition’ we should protect,” Lohan’s lawyer, Blair Berk, said in a statement. “Not identifying that this ad was paid for by the liquor and restaurant industries is profoundly reckless.

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“Drunk, white businessmen, drunk housewives out for girls night out and drunk wedding parties should be kept off the roads of America,” Berk continued. “Lindsay Lohan fully endorses ignition interlock devices, which have been well-proven to save lives.”

The American Beverage Institute stood by its use of Lohan’s image.

“People magazine, Smoking Gun and a lot of people have republished this mug shot,” said Longwell. “It was publicly accessible. We’re not using it for any kind of commercial gain. So we’re well within our rights to use it.”

Reached for comment about Berk’s statement, USA Today spokesman Ed Cassidy issued the following statement: “Advocacy advertising is a big part of what we do. Our pages function as forum for competing views.”

Frankly, I think she looks pretty good (bad Bon!). The last thing I need is another BPDish woman in my life (yeah, like I’d have a chance with her – she’s half my age – almost). She’s on my top five list of possible BPD celebs – which I need to update soon. After giving Pete Doherty the royal research treatment, I think it behooves me to give the rest of the bunch the same. Soon to come!

Judge Tells Drunk to Kill Himself

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Why Pete Doherty has jumped to the front of the line for BPD celebs

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:46:23 +0000

OK, well, the other day I posted on how Pete Doherty has jumped to the top of my Celebrities with Borderline Personality Disorder (possibly, but not for sure) list. Why? Well, he just released a series of paintings done in his own blood. Let’s examine the other “evidence” of possible BPD….

(For those of you who don’t know who Pete Doherty is: he’s the lead singer of two British bands: Babyshambles and the Libertines. He dated Kate Moss and he is a regular in the tabloids in London for his erratic and criminal behavior.)

Self-Harm

Painting in one’s own blood seems to indicate self-harm. Here’s another article about Doherty’s self-harm.

Quotes from the self-harm article:

Graphic footage of rock star Pete Doherty deliberately harming himself will not appear in a forthcoming fly-on-the-wall documentary about the former Libertines’ singer, as had been feared by mental health charities.

The scenes of Doherty cutting himself with a broken bottle feature in a rough edit of the documentary, to be shown on BBC3 on Sunday 28 August. The images of Doherty slashing his chest, taken from the edit, were leaked to the national press last week, raising concerns about his mental health.

Substance Abuse

Well, duh… He’s been put in jail numerous times for drug offenses, including heroin and cocaine abuse.

Quotes:

He appeared at Ealing Magistrates’ Court to face charges of possessing heroin and cocaine.

The 26-year-old was arrested by police after he was spotted driving a speeding car in west London on 30 November.

The former Libertines singer has continually been in the headlines over his drug abuse and his relationship with model Kate Moss.

He is due to reappear at Ealing Magistrates Court on 8 February.

The prosecution said police pulled Mr Doherty over after he was spotted speeding and officers said he had a glazed look.

He was found to have three packets of heroin, with a weight of 0.875gm (0.03oz), and one packet containing 0.234gm (0.008oz) cocaine.

Inappropriate Anger

More quotes:

Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty has been fined £750 after he admitted assaulting a BBC reporter in March.

The star pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court to kicking a microphone out of her hand outside the same court after a separate appearance.

In a statement, the 27-year-old said: “If I hurt this lady I’m sorry.”

The star, who is currently being treated for drug addiction, was also ordered to pay £250 compensation and another £200 in court costs.

Painful hand

He had previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault by beating after he kicked out at Radio 1 Newsbeat’s Trudi Barber.

His defence lawyer, Sean Curran, said Doherty changed his plea after watching television footage of the attack.

Indentity Issues

He’s turning to Islam? I wonder how long that will last.

Quotes:

One of Doherty’s friends said: “He’s been reading the Quran since he went into segregation. He’s got a lot of Muslim friends and they’ve been on at him for ages to study it. Now he’s on his own and he’s got time on his hands to study it.

“I’m surprised how much it has calmed him down as he was very on the edge inside. He definitely seems more chilled. He’s lapping it up and really interested in it. I think it’s helping him in there.”

Doherty has been having a difficult time since his 14-week sentence began for violating probation by taking drugs.

Volatile Relationships

The UK hottest couple, Pete Doherty and Kate Moss, split up, after the beautiful supermodel dumped Pete, arguing she cannot stand his way of life anymore, always worrying about him.

On July 22, 2005, Pete Doherty was involved into
a street fight. British newspapers The Sun and Daily Mirror reports that Pete and musician friend Alan Wass fought with a group of Somali youths after they shouted “crackhead” at him.

Farid Khan of Supersave store in Camden Town, said: “The singer ran in pursed by six man. There was a big fight. We got them out but they hurled a brick at the door.”

Kate reportedly told friends: “I can’t go on spending day and night worrying about Pete. He would disappear without a word and I would not hear from him for days. He has to change his lifestyle. Until that happens we are finished.”

Sexual Confusion

DOHERTY: ‘I WAS A GAY RENT BOY AND DRUG DEALER’

Troubled rocker PETE DOHERTY has shocked fans by boasting he worked as a homosexual prostitute and drug dealer to fuel his drug addictions, before he shot to fame in his former band THE LIBERTINES.

The wild singer confesses he was so desperate for money to fund his cocaine and heroin habits, he worked as a rent boy and once robbed a gay client after tying him up at his home.

Dangerous Driving

Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty has been fined £300 and disqualified from driving for two months.

The 27-year-old admitted two charges of driving without insurance or a licence at Thames Magistrates Court in London.

District Judge Jane McIvor warned the singer that he faces jail if he drives without a licence again.

The rock star was arrested in November 2006 by officers who spotted him driving his Jaguar erratically near his east London home.

Shame

So you’ve got this support act, some posh bloke with a discomfited smile, slowly eating himself from the inside out from pure embarrassment. One guy with a guitar strumming idle fancies like ‘The Blue Ridge Mountains Of Dakota’, incapable of holding a note or playing a tune, and, what’s worse, he clearly hates himself for it. Pretty soon, he’ll be dead. And then he’s joined by a nonchalant Doherty in trenchcoat and hat. The place breaks out into hysteria. I’m blinded by about twenty camera phones flashing, then I’m nearly sucked under by the wave surging forward. Even Doherty, the boy in the bubble, advises everyone to move back because there’s a girl in the front whose eyes are bulging.

Suicide Attempts

Pete Doherty tried to kill himself in rehab after discovering that Kate Moss was dating a new man. British tabloids tattled that the ‘Babyshambles’ singer downed an entire bottle of pills-he just ended up making himself ill.

“He saw an opportunity to take an overdose and took it. He told me he didn’t know what the pills were but thought ‘fuck it’ and took them all,” says a NOW insider.

“He doesn’t care what drugs do to him—in fact, he likes finding out.”

“To begin with Kate was ringing him up all the time, concerned for his well-being.”

“But when Pete started to quiz her about the new guy, she was evasive and it got to him. She messed with his head.”

Impulsive Behavior

Anthony Thornton, the reviews editor of NME and an authority on The Libertines, said: ‘Pete is at a lower point than he was a year ago. He’s hit depths he didn’t even know existed. He’s not aware of how bad a state he’s in, and the drugs make it worse. He’s incredibly impulsive, he doesn’t take on responsibilities, he’s unreliable and likely to do himself harm.

Unsafe Sexual Behavior

I think anyone who was a male prostitute qualifies in this regard.

So, ole’ Pete hit just about all the categories that I applied to other celebrites. While I am not a doctor and can’t officially diagnose anyone… Pete Doherty looks suspiciously like he may have Borderline Personality Disorder (or something very close to it). And everyone, you will notice that I used mainly news articles in this analysis (with a bit of blogging, didn’t have time to look up interviews for shame – although I’ve been told he says he hates himself and he is a bad person).

Here’s his Wikipedia entry.

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Amy Winehouse gets off easy – but maybe not with her dad

Bon Dobbs — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:54:29 +0000

Two Amy Winehouse stories came to light over the past two days. Remember, readers, Amy Winehouse is top on my list of of “Celebrities with Borderline Personality Disorder (possibly, not for sure)” – although it is likely that I will have to re-examine the list in light of Pete Doherty’s weirdness.

Here are the Amy Wino stories:

Her father wants her committed. Quotes from this article:

[her father]: “I’ve told them (medical authorities) she is a danger to herself. There is evidence of self-harming and she’s a danger to other people because she’s attacked someone.

“Obviously as her dad I will try and do what’s best for her. Unfortunately, what I think is best for her and what she thinks is best for her are two different things.”

It’s not the first time Mitch has expressed his desire to have Winehouse committed – he previously revealed his intentions in January, but hospital officials couldn’t help, because she wasn’t considered a danger to herself.

She got off the assault charge with a “caution.” Here are some quotes from that article:

A police spokesperson said on Saturday: “She has left the police station. She has been cautioned for common assault.”

Winehouse went voluntarily to the police station on Friday afternoon.

Her spokesman, Chris Goodman, said in a statement that the singer had “admitted to a common assault by slapping a man with an open hand and accepted a caution”.

The statement added: “Amy was fully cooperative with inquiries and apologized for the incident.”

The caution means that the matter will remain on her record and could count against her should she be charged with a similar offence.

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Amy Winehouse arrested for assault

Bon Dobbs — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:11:53 +0000

She just can’t stay our of trouble – huh? Maybe she needs a little therapy? DBT perhaps?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080425/ap_on_en_mu/people_winehouse

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Has Pete Doherty become the most likely BPD celebrity?

Bon Dobbs — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:56:56 +0000

Pete Doherty has started selling paintings done in his own blood. I guess he has jumped to the top of the possible celebrities with BPD list (well, except Amy Winehouse of course).

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/article-22525591-details/Doherty’s+blood+paintings/article.do

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Four reasons bipolar disorder is accepted and borderline personality disorder is not

Bon Dobbs — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:43:57 +0000

I am often asked why Borderline Personality Disorder is not as recognized and as accepted as bipolar disorder . I think there are four main reasons:

No celebrity has come out and announced that they have the disorder. While several celebrities have said they have bipolar disorder (just search on the Internet and you’ll see), no celebrity has announced they have BPD. Why? Probably because of the stigma (see below). There are certainly candidates for the disorder, but no poster child yet.

Many people believe that BPD is just a case of the person behaving badly. Non-BPs are definitely guilty of this in spades. The behaviors associated with the disorder – including drug abuse, lying and manipulation – lead many people, including family members and therapists, to believe that the disorder begins and ends with behavior. While behavioral therapies seem to be the most effective in treating the disorder, emotional dysregulation and cognitive disortions play a big role and shouldn’t be ignored. A person with BPD is not just someone behaving badly. They are trying to adapt to the large amount of emotional pain that they feel. Sometimes these adpatations will take the form of dangerous and distructive behavior, but that behavior is not about anyone other than themselves – in other words the behavior is not about you (the Non-BP).

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Bipolar is an Axis I disorder and BPD is an Axis II disorder. This really must change. Historically, BPD has been considered a “personality” disorder. People see it as a character flaw (even some of the sufferers). It is not a character flaw – it is a serious emotional and mental illness that should be treated as such. There are biological components to BPD just as there are biological components to bipolar disorder. It’s time to get rid of the Axis II classification of BPD and treat it like bipolar disorder.

There is a huge stigma surrounding BPD. If you do a search on the Internet and read Non-BP stories, most are in the vein of “I’m glad I got rid of my borderline wife.” There are several Non-BP books that are also in this vein. There is little worse in the mind of the public than someone having BPD. It’s time to remove the stigma. I hope that deeming May as BPD awareness month will help to increase awareness and remove the stigma.

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Are Borderlines Evil?

Bon Dobbs — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:57:39 +0000

This post is a response to my last post about Demonic Possession and Borderline Personality Disorder. OK, maybe responding to my own post is “navel gazing” on my part, but I have been thinking about that post since I wrote it. I certainly didn’t want my readers to believe that I am anti-religious – I am not.

What irked me so about the “Mrs. Treasures” article about Demonic Possession and BPD was that it was indicative of a cognitive distortion that people with BPD often exhibit and one that can be transmitted to the Non-BP over time. That cognitive distortion is black-and-white thinking. It is the tendency for someone to think that something or someone is all good or all bad – good or evil. Framing BPD as analogous to demonic possession puts the borderline in the evil category and infers that the BP is a non’s enemy. People with BPD are not evil; they have a serious mental illness with areas of dysregulation, including behavioral dysregulation. Calling them evil is about as judgmental as one can be and being judgmental is counter-productive when it comes to supporting the healing of a loved one with BPD. That sentence brings me to another point. Mrs. Treasures uses the term “loved one” (and lover) several times in her article, but she expresses little love or sympathy for someone with BPD. If this person is your “loved one” aren’t you inclined to exhibit love toward them? The example that she cites in her article is from “Patrick” who is, of course, an ex-husband of a manipulative borderline woman. Since he is an ex-husband, I suppose he no longer considers his ex-wife a loved one.

And that brings me to another point that I have trouble with – especially in the online support community for nons. It is the fact that many people like to cite Hitler as an example of a historical borderline by stating something to the effect of “you know, arguably the most evil person in history was a borderline.” First of all, although some ex post facto psychological researchers have decided Hitler had BPD, others state that his mental disorders most likely arose from NPD or from an addiction to amphetamines. Certainly, considering yourself the savior of your nation, your race and the world would seem narcissistic to me anyway. Even though “narcissistic behavior” is stated in “Stop Walking on Eggshells” (SWOE) as a symptom of BPD, it is not really a primary symptom. It instead arises from black-and-white thinking and as a counter-balance to shame. It is not mentioned as one of the nine features of BPD in the DSM-IV. It is however mentioned as a primary feature of NPD.

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Hitler’s evil arose not from his supposed borderline personality disorder. It arose from his “will to power” and his setting up an enemy (or several: the Jews, the Poles, the Allies, People with Mental Retardation, the Communists, etc.) that deserved death. He viewed these groups less than human and as an evil plague to the German people. Eradication was the only answer in his mind (or in the mind’s of those around him). That will to power is at the root of all big, historical evils in my opinion. You see it in Pol Pot, in Stalin, in Mao and in many others. The key point is that Hitler set up an “us vs. them” situation in which the German people had to fight to the death with their sworn enemies. If you consider a person with BPD evil (demonic) and yourself as good (Godly), you are setting up the same sort of dynamic with this other person. (OK, I’m not calling anyone Hitler here).

Technically, Hitler couldn’t be diagnosed with BPD (at least by American standards) because the diagnosis didn’t exist in the DSM until 1980. The word “borderline” has been around for a lot longer than that, but the actual diagnosis didn’t get codified until 1980. The diagnosis was still used though – as it was used for Susanna Kaysen (author of “Girl, Interrupted”) in the 1960s.

The historical example of BPD I like to reference (instead of Hitler) is Princess Diana. According to one of her chroniclers, Princess Di had BPD. Based on what I’ve read about her behavior (including bulimia, raging and cutting), if anyone was a likely candidate for BPD in history it’s Princess Di. What is extraordinarily sad about Princess Di was that she had to live much of her life in a fishbowl. That had to be extremely stressful for her. She was also capable of compassion for those in difficult situations, although ultimately Princess Di was a tragic figure and, in my opinion, more representational (than Hitler) of what the experience of a borderline is like.

Before you (as a non) decide that your “loved one” with BPD is evil, I suggest taking a step back and considering how tragic and painful the experience of BPD can be. Think of Princess Di, not Hitler.

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