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Personality is the way of thinking, feeling and behaving that makes a person different from other people. An individual’s personality is influenced by experiences, environment (surroundings, life situations) and inherited characteristics. A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from the expectations of the culture, causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time.
See definition, symptoms, & treatment
We increasingly hear of robots taking over humans’ jobs, but could robots fill in for dogs in pet therapy? Pet robots are increasingly being used in assisted living facilities and day care centers to help patients with dementia.
Play is natural and fun for children and an important part of learning and development. Play therapy is a therapy used by licensed mental health professionals to help children to better express their thoughts and emotions and to address a variety of problems. When children are unable to put into words their feelings or concerns, play can help them express themselves and learn ways to cope.
Women’s History Month highlights the contributions of women to events in history and modern society. Initially a weeklong celebration in 1980, it quickly evolved into a month in 1987 when the nonprofit organization, National Women’s History Project (NWHP) successfully lobbied Congress. Today, Women’s History Month is celebrated during March in the United States and other countries and corresponds with International Women’s Day on March 8. The 2019 theme is “Visionary women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence.”
National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder. Family Connections is a 12-week program for relatives with a loved one with borderline personality disorder. Available in person and via conference call.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
I’m concerned that my friend may have a personality disorder. I don’t think she’ll consider having an evaluation or getting help. What can I do?
People with personality disorders often have a hard time taking responsibility for their feelings and behaviors. They sometimes even blame others for their problems. However, each of them is suffering and is aware that their life is not going well. Approaching a friend about her painful feelings or the frustrations and disappointments in her life, and offering to listen, might be a way to help her consider treatment. If you have had a successful experience in therapy, share that with your friend, even if it wasn’t necessarily for “personality problems” (an off-putting term for many people). Most people with personality disorders enter treatment with another problem, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, a job loss, a romantic break-up, etc. The challenge is to get your friend “in the door,” so to speak, not to commit to long-term treatment at the beginning. Read More
My bother has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I want to be supportive and help him, but it has been extremely difficult to deal with his anger, aggressiveness and paranoia. How can I help him without feeling abused and hurt myself?
People with borderline personality disorder have significant problems in relationships. On the one hand, they can be very needy and clingy in relationships. On the other hand, they push people away because they are insecure themselves and distrust others. They would rather be the one who leaves than the one who is abandoned. To be able to tolerate the borderline person’s anger and aggression, family members must appreciate that the person is reacting out of a sense of weakness and suffering. That is not to say that family members should accept anger and abuse directed at them – limits must be set. Family members must be able to walk away, if necessary, from a situation for their own good, and without guilt. To help a person with borderline personality disorder people need to respect themselves enough to protect themselves. If you let yourself be abused, you will react with anger, push your brother away and confirm his suspicion that you do not love him (enough). Read More
About the Expert:
Andrew Skokol, M.D. Research Professor, University of Arizona
Maria, a single woman without a job, sought therapy at age 33 for treatment of depressed mood, chronic thoughts of killing herself and having no social contact for many months. She had spent the last six months alone in her apartment, lying in bed, eating junk food, watching TV and doing more online shopping than she could afford.
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DEC 18, 2018
Psychology Today
New research shows overlap between borderline and other personality disorders. A running debate in abnormal psychology and psychiatry is whether there really is a diagnosable entity of borderline personality disorder. From the first proposal of this term to reflect, literally, the “border” between neurosis and psychosis, shifts in diagnostic thinking have focused on the deficits this disorder involves in emotion regulation, sense of self, and ability to negotiate boundaries with others.
DEC 4, 2018
Today Show
Experts applaud Pete Davidson for his continued candor about life with borderline personality disorder. "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson certainly isn’t afraid of being honest about living with borderline personality disorder (BPD). After a hiatus from social media following his split with Ariana Grande, he returned to Instagram with a message about mental health and bullying.
NOV 30, 2018
Refinery29.com
If borderline personality disorder (BPD) were a relationship status, it would be "it’s complicated." Despite being in the spotlight lately via TV shows like The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and celebrities like SNL’s Pete Davidson, there’s still a lot of unknowns about the mental health condition. That's in part because BPD is characterized through different personality-based trends and patterns, which are very hard to nail down. And those patterns can show up in almost every aspect of a person's life, from how they act in relationships, to how they handle work situations, to even how they handle their own inner thoughts.
Physician Review
by Rachel Robitz, M.D.November 2018