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Nearly 6% of Americans suffer from a mental illness doctors barely understand
“We only have medications that treat individual symptoms.” Nearly 6% of Americans suffer from a mental illness doctors barely understand MELISSA STANGER SEP 23 2015, 2:45 AM Pamela Tusiani was 20 years old when she suffered what her mother described as a “sudden and life-shattering nervous breakdown.” As she wrote in an article for Newsday, some days she would be bedridden, unable to eat or speak to anyone; other times she would lash out in anger at people she cared about, or cut herself to feel some relief from her emotional pain. “My daughter is losing her grip on reality, and I’ve never been so scared” her mother wrote in…
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Study shows trend of prescribing opioids to patients with a comorbidity of borderline personality disorder increased over time
The results also suggest that these borderline patients may be particularly sensitive to physical pain–mirroring their well-known heightened sensitivity to emotional pain. Study shows trend of prescribing opioids to patients with a comorbidity of borderline personality disorder increased over time January 23, 2014 | By Joe Wiegel – PCLS President Patients with borderline personality disorder are being prescribed opioid pain medication at increasing rates according to a recent follow-up study by Drs. Frankenburg, Fitzmaurice and Zanarini. The researchers attempted to determine the rate of use of prescription opioid medications by patients with borderline personality disorder and compare that to the rate reported by the control group during a 10-year follow-up.…
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Xanax + Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) = Serious Dyscontrol
Those receiving alprazolam (Xanax) had an increase in the severity of the episodes of serious dyscontrol. Pharmacotherapy of Borderline Personality Disorder Alprazolam, Carbamazepine, Trifluoperazine, and Tranylcypromine Rex William Cowdry, MD; David L. Gardner, MD Sixteen female outpatients with borderline personality disorder and prominent behavioral dyscontrol, but without a current episode of major depression, were studied in a doubleblind, crossover trial of placebo and the following four active medications: alprazolam (average dose, 4.7 mg/d); carbamazepine (average dose, 820 mg/d); trifluoperazine hydrochloride (average dose, 7.8 mg/d); and tranylcypromine sulfate (average dose, 40 mg/d). Each trial was designed to last six weeks. Tranylcypromine and carbamazepine trials had the highest completion rates. Physicians rated…
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Reorienting a Depressed Patient to Address Underlying BPD
Undesirable living situations and/or failures to achieve what you expect of yourself exacerbate and prolong depression. Reorienting a Depressed Patient to Address Underlying BPD John Gunderson, M.D. October 08, 2013 DOI: 10.1176/appi.pn.2013.11a23 A 22-year-old African-American male named Morris was referred to me by Dr. Henri. Morris was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) after a nonlethal overdose had led to an ER visit. This event occurred after several years in which his “treatment-resistant” depression had persisted despite many medication trials. Neatly dressed in black jeans and shirt, he seemed wary and perhaps, I thought, a bit frightened when he arrived. While we were in the waiting room, his worried overweight…
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Does Evidence-Based Medicine Discourage Richer Assessment of Psychopathology and Treatment?
The paradigm for modern psychiatry is evidence-based medicine (EBM)—it represents proven treatments for defined diagnoses. But there are major problems with this position, starting with the fact that while they are superior to placebo, evidence-based treatments too often are ineffective. Does Evidence-Based Medicine Discourage Richer Assessment of Psychopathology and Treatment? (link) By Simon Sobo, MD | April 5, 2012 Dr Sobo practices psychiatry in Northwestern Connecticut. Many of his other articles can be found at his Web site, www.simonsobo.com. The paradigm for modern psychiatry is evidence-based medicine (EBM)—it represents proven treatments for defined diagnoses. But there are major problems with this position, starting with the fact that while they are…
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Interesting Interview with Dr. Leland Heller about BPD
“Much of it comes from self-destructive behaviors that are used to stop the horrible pain of dysphoria; anxiety, rage, depression and despair. When an individual behaves out-of-control, in a manner that’s inconsistent with their beliefs or normal choices, terrible self-hate develops. Additionally many individuals had low self-esteem and related problems since childhood and are in an environment that causes self-hate to flourish.” – from the interview Bon: I found an interview with Dr. Leland Heller about Borderline Personality Disorder. He does a good job explaining the pain associated with the disorder… Here are some excerpts. The entire interview can be read here. Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder And Finding Treatment That…