Psychological Matters

You were out late the night before, do you bother arriving on time to work the next day? Your female co-worker leaves her purse unattended on her desk; do you help yourself to a few dollars? People diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder have problems with these types of scenarios, often choosing the self-serving option. They could be described as “conscience-less.” To understand the problem of the Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), it is necessary to examine the role our conscience plays in interpersonal relationships. What exactly is a conscience? Free Dictionary defines it as “ the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong .” Various disciplines have their own answers about how the conscience is formed. Freud believed we have psychologically internalized the parental figures of our childhood to develop a “superego.” Christians say it is God’s voice or an internalized moral code that directs u...

I watched an interesting BBC (2001) movie, The Hole,  over the summer. The story begins with the main character Liz Dunn’s proposed version of the tragic deaths of her friends. We meet Liz giving her statement to the police and learn her perspective of what happened. It all started when four college students decided to spend a weekend in an underground military bunker instead of going on a school field trip. Liz had a crush on a fellow classmate and used this opportunity to get to know him better. As the story unfolds, however, it becomes apparent that Liz is lying and deliberately misleading, whereas the truth is much different. The movie then retells the weekend events. Liz is revealed as a self-serving mastermind of the horrific events that led to the deaths of her friends. She callously ignores her best friend’s plea for help in order to spend more time with her love interest, kills another friend to keep him from revealing the truth about the weekend, and then threat...

This article features a guest author, Ashley Rogers. She will provide tips on how to manage the daily stress in our lives.  Stress is a common problem. Though it’s natural, it can often get out of control and potentially lead to other problems.There are many ways to fight it, but there is no one way that will work for everyone. In order to find a way to deal with stress that works for you, consider the following methods. It may take multiple attempts or combinations, but you’ll likely find something here that can help you. 1. Exercise Exercise is a tried and true method of fighting stress, as well as other emotional negativity. This is because when you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which is what triggers a “runner’s high” or “second wind.”  Your pain tolerance increases & you often simply feel great. This can often last well after a workout, and have residual effects on your state of mind. 2. Music Music is also known to influence mood, whether we want...

Since Borderline Personality Disorder causes erratic, disruptive emotions and behaviors, it is no surprise that this condition negatively affects familial relationships. Children are particularly vulnerable to these effects since they have limited access to social, emotional, and tangible resources. They also do not have a perspective of normal parenting and cannot limit their contact with the ill parent. Children who have a parent with Borderline Personality Disorder must navigate a constantly changing relationship with that mother or father. Mason and Kreger in their classic book,  Stop Walking on Eggshells (1998), identified the following negative effects of BPD parenting. They have found parents with BPD—  May be unable to adequately consider their child’s needs, wishes, and feelings May be too preoccupied with their personal emotional experience and overlook their child’s needs May substitute their worldview for their child’s (for example, if they hate ...

There are many excellent books written about Borderline Personality Disorder.  Here are a few that I found particularly helpful.   Please be aware these references are not listed alphabetical, but rather in order of my favorite. Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder: A Family Guide for Healing and Change by Valerie Porr, MA (2010, Oxford University Press) Valerie Porr, MA, is the founder of the non-profit organization Treatment and Research Advancement-NationalAssociation for Personality Disorder ( TARA APD) whose mission is to increase education and research in the field of personality disorder. She has written this outstanding book on BPD. It provides a comprehensive overview of the disorder, which includes the latest research on the etiology of the disease and the latest treatment options. It is primarily written for family members with loved one with BPD who are looking for effective coping strategies and compassionate interpersonal techniques to r...

Most people have a Hollywood perspective of psychiatric hospitalizations. It is commonly assumed that emotionally-struggling individuals are admitted to get psychological treatment and are only released once they are cured, or at least more socially functional. This is not true. Since brief stays at a psychiatric hospital are often part of the treatment plan for people struggling with borderline personality disorder, it is important to understand when and how to facilitate an admission to such a facility. Some common questions about psychiatric hospitalizations include: What psychological or physical symptoms are required to qualify someone for an admission? What is the difference between an involuntary commitment and a voluntary admission? Can a patient sign out of the hospital at anytime? Criteria for psychiatric hospitalization have changed over the years. The main purpose is to keep individuals safe while their most severe symptoms are being treated with medication. Mo...

Since those with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) frequently have wild emotional vacillations, odd black-and-white thinking, and scary disruptive behavior, it is commonly believed that they must have different type of emotions than everybody else. This, however, is a myth. Their emotional experience is the same as other people’s, they just struggle to have adequate internal coping mechanisms to handle their emotional pain or strong impulses.  As mentioned in the article of Borderline Personality Disorder: Definition , it is their difficulty to regulate emotional challenges and impulses that causes their dysfunctional and erratic behavior. Medication is only one part of an effective treatment plan.  Psychotherapy is also a necessary critical component to achieve lasting improvements in those diagnosed with BPD. Currently the gold standard in counseling modalities for BPD is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, Professor at the Unive...