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Learning that there is a better way than self-harm
A new programme is being rolled out across the country to teach people who are severely suicidal and who repeatedly self-harm that there is a less destructive way to manage their emotional pain. Those who repeatedly self- harm are often diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterised by difficulties in managing emotions, in suicidality and continual self-harm. Dr Marsha Linehan, a psychologist at the University of Washington, has led a crusade to find an effective treatment approach for BPD and has been credited internationally with developing the most effective treatment to date – dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). Linehan spent a week in Ireland at the start of the year…
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Targeted Therapy Halves Suicide Attempts in Borderline Personality Disorder
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) reduced suicide attempts by half compared with other types of psychotherapy available in the community in patients with borderline personality disorder, an NIMH-funded study has found. DBT also excelled at reducing use of emergency room and inpatient services and more than halved therapy dropout rates compared to the mostly traditional approaches, report Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., University of Washington, and colleagues in the July 2006 issue ofArchives of General Psychiatry. “All treatments are not equal for such suicidal patients,” said Linehan. Borderline personality disorder is a difficult-to-treat mental illness affecting up to two percent of adults, 5.8-8.7 million Americans, mostly young women. People with this disorder of emotion…
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Gun Control and BPD
“Having the scarlet letter saying you had a mental health issue… that prevents you from purchasing a weapon, I’m not sure that’s a wise policy statement,” said Mark Pearlmutter, an emergency physician in Boston and an expert on mental health issues. “However, anyone who has history of violence, incarceration, borderline personality disorder, or unpredictability, I would personally support those patients not having access to weapons.” Bon: I am NOT getting political here. I wanted to point out that I would never own a gun while living with a person with Borderline Personality Disorder. The impulsiveness + suicidal ideation + access to a gun = a very dangerous situation. D.C. shift:…
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Casey Johnson desperately tried to contact her billionaire Jets owner father
Revealed: Casey Johnson desperately tried to contact her billionaire Jets owner father before her sudden death at 30 – after he cut her off when she came out as a lesbian, adopted a baby and refused to stop partying Casey Johnson, heiress to Johnson & Johnson, died from complications from diabetes in January 2010 when she was just 30 Her mother, Sale Johnson, has revealed Casey’s hard partying lifestyle and troubles stemmed from borderline personality disorder Her father, Woody Johnson, cut her out after a string of public spats – and he never reconnected with her despite her repeated efforts New details have emerged in biography about the dynasty’s scandals…
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A system that fails troubled teens
Teens whose multiple diagnoses meant that her see-saw emotions were extremely challenging to treat, especially in a mental health system that is over-burdened and difficult for desperate families to navigate. A system that fails troubled teens GAYLE MACDONALD From Friday’s Globe and Mail – with correction Published Thursday, Jun. 27 2013, 9:00 PM EDT Last updated Thursday, Jul. 04 2013, 10:09 AM EDT Katherine Duff is 16. She comes from a close-knit Toronto family. She has a part-time-job and gets straight As. She loves poetry, watching movies with her younger sister, and going out with friends for dinner or to the mall. She adores animals, especially dogs. And she wants…
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Active Minds hosts Pershall to combat mental illness stigmas
Pershall spoke about her battle with anorexia, bulimia and borderline personality disorder. Active Minds hosts Pershall to combat mental illness stigmas By Daniel Mcinerney Courtesy of www.activeminds.org For three days, Stacy Pershall suffered from violent seizures that left her body bruised and her tongue so badly bitten and swollen that she was unable to talk. The seizures were the result of a near-fatal drug overdose from an attempted suicide. On Thursday night, Active Minds, a national student organization dedicated to removing the stigmas associated with mental illnesses, invited Pershall to tell her story during National Eating Disorder Week. Speaking to a full theater in Trabant University Center, Pershall recounted the…