Dash Riprock
Master Don Juan
I watched this documentary last night on HBO: http://www.32pillsmovie.com/index.html
It was very well done and talks about a woman whose sister committed suicide. At one point the woman says she is quite certain her sister actually had BPD but was diagnosed as Bipolar. As I watched the movie, I would be quite certain and agree that the deceased woman also had BPD. The movie goes through the woman's life from childhood, adolescence and adulthood so you can get a good feel for what kind of person she was: a high achiever manly in sports, very creative, gorgeous with a great body, child-like (adult and still collected stuffed animals, was surrounded by them she she OD'ed), went through many boyfriends, never married, acted out all the time so they (bf's) would leave her, was on at least 50 types of meds, highly volatile, often depressed, and at times suicidal--until she finally ended it for good.
The documentary does allude to the fact she was mentally abnormal even as a very young child, unlike her sister. But, as the story also tells, the mother was a beauty queen-type very focused on bling and looks so it's a good possibility the girl wasn't raised properly or loved as a child which in women can be a strong contributing factor for BPD.
Many on this board get snarky about "not diagnosing people as we're not doctors" and I agree to a point. However, until you've dated someone who strongly displays 90%+ of the criteria for BPD and have done the research, it's not all that hard to make a solid assumption the woman is probably within the BPD spectrum. Point in fact: Have you ever seen the guy on the bus or in public who looks a bit unkempt and is continually talking or mumbling to himself? I think we all have. Most of us would make a strong accurate guess that the guy is schizophrenic--and he probably is because the signs are so strong. Or, think about someone who is experiencing severe depression, could you guess by interacting with them? Most likely, yes.
I also think based on my experience and research, BPD is MUCH MORE prevalent than officially reported at around 2% of the population.
Main reasons based on my research and experience :
- Many blogs and articles say the disorder is very hard to 100% diagnose so it is often misdiagnosed; usually as PTSD or Bipolar.
- It's common knowledge in blogs and literature that many mental health professionals tacitly do not like to take on BPD clients because of the nature of the client (outbursts, accusations, quitting treatment) and poor prospects for any scant improvement.
- Some mental health professionals "purposely" diagnose the patient as something other than BPD because of the "death sentence" the diagnosis represents (no cure, no effective therapy or meds). Almost all literature states chances for any improvement are very slim and there are no meds that work. So they will diagnose as something else for the patient's sake as to give them any semblance of hope.
- Lack of love and nurturing for infants and toddlers can be a strong common denominator for BPD people. This is especially true when the mother withholds love from the infant daughter. Given most all parents now both work even when children are very young and are simply not present as much as parents in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, may very well contribute to far more women having BPD than reported or diagnosed. Add in the fact that there are many mothers who shouldn't be mothers and you have MANY young women growing up where the ground is fertile for BPD to develop.
Check it out. The documentary is definitely worth watching whether you've dated a BPD or not.
Good luck.
Dash
It was very well done and talks about a woman whose sister committed suicide. At one point the woman says she is quite certain her sister actually had BPD but was diagnosed as Bipolar. As I watched the movie, I would be quite certain and agree that the deceased woman also had BPD. The movie goes through the woman's life from childhood, adolescence and adulthood so you can get a good feel for what kind of person she was: a high achiever manly in sports, very creative, gorgeous with a great body, child-like (adult and still collected stuffed animals, was surrounded by them she she OD'ed), went through many boyfriends, never married, acted out all the time so they (bf's) would leave her, was on at least 50 types of meds, highly volatile, often depressed, and at times suicidal--until she finally ended it for good.
The documentary does allude to the fact she was mentally abnormal even as a very young child, unlike her sister. But, as the story also tells, the mother was a beauty queen-type very focused on bling and looks so it's a good possibility the girl wasn't raised properly or loved as a child which in women can be a strong contributing factor for BPD.
Many on this board get snarky about "not diagnosing people as we're not doctors" and I agree to a point. However, until you've dated someone who strongly displays 90%+ of the criteria for BPD and have done the research, it's not all that hard to make a solid assumption the woman is probably within the BPD spectrum. Point in fact: Have you ever seen the guy on the bus or in public who looks a bit unkempt and is continually talking or mumbling to himself? I think we all have. Most of us would make a strong accurate guess that the guy is schizophrenic--and he probably is because the signs are so strong. Or, think about someone who is experiencing severe depression, could you guess by interacting with them? Most likely, yes.
I also think based on my experience and research, BPD is MUCH MORE prevalent than officially reported at around 2% of the population.
Main reasons based on my research and experience :
- Many blogs and articles say the disorder is very hard to 100% diagnose so it is often misdiagnosed; usually as PTSD or Bipolar.
- It's common knowledge in blogs and literature that many mental health professionals tacitly do not like to take on BPD clients because of the nature of the client (outbursts, accusations, quitting treatment) and poor prospects for any scant improvement.
- Some mental health professionals "purposely" diagnose the patient as something other than BPD because of the "death sentence" the diagnosis represents (no cure, no effective therapy or meds). Almost all literature states chances for any improvement are very slim and there are no meds that work. So they will diagnose as something else for the patient's sake as to give them any semblance of hope.
- Lack of love and nurturing for infants and toddlers can be a strong common denominator for BPD people. This is especially true when the mother withholds love from the infant daughter. Given most all parents now both work even when children are very young and are simply not present as much as parents in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, may very well contribute to far more women having BPD than reported or diagnosed. Add in the fact that there are many mothers who shouldn't be mothers and you have MANY young women growing up where the ground is fertile for BPD to develop.
Check it out. The documentary is definitely worth watching whether you've dated a BPD or not.
Good luck.
Dash