Miami Dolphins Player Brandon Marshall admits to Borderline Personality Disorder

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.”