Category Archives: BPD-Related

Explores BPD: its stigma, its literary manifestations, its burdens on sufferers and their families

The Stress Response

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Kathy

Various therapies preach that “feelings aren’t facts.” This is a useful admonishment inside or outside of therapy. Though our feelings are real, and therefore factual in a sense, the aphorism suggests that our perceptions may depart from objective reality. We … Continue reading →

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Crazy Mommies, Once Again

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Kathy

Darrell Hammond, formerly of “Saturday Night Live” (where he perfected his smarmy Bill Clinton impression), has been promoting his memoir on lots of media outlets. God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F*ed  recounts his story of depression and drug … Continue reading →

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The Turn

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Kathy

“One of the most devastating experiences for children of borderlines is ‘The Turn,’” writes Christine Anne Lawson. “The Turn is a sudden attack, the abrupt withdrawal of love and affection, and razor-sharp words that can pierce the heart as painfully … Continue reading →

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Crazy Mommies

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Kathy

Merrill Markoe is an Emmy-winning TV writer, novelist, and humorist. I allude to one of her old essays all the time, in which she mused that all of pop culture is now oriented toward thirteen-year-old boys, or their mental equivalent. As in car … Continue reading →

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Close Encounters of the Borderline Kind

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Kathy

Looking back at my life, I am rethinking previous, fraught relationships in light of what I have learned about borderline personality disorder. I recall a very difficult friend who was diagnosed with depression and was always getting mad at me. … Continue reading →

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Hendrix, cont.

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Kathy

We know that people with BPD often invest all their hopes and emotions in a single relationship; they latch on to someone, idealizing the new partner/savior and expecting unconditional love. They’re destined for disappointment, of course, because no partner is perfect. Unwittingly, however, they … Continue reading →

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Nutty Name, Crazy Ideas

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Kathy

A long time ago, I watched an Oprah episode I never forgot. At the time, I thought the guest and his theories were wacky – so farfetched as not to be believed. I’ve always had trouble remembering the guest’s unusual … Continue reading →

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Defining Terms

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Kathy

Sometimes people ask me the meaning and origin of borderline. It describes a middle ground between neurosis and psychosis. Those Freudian terms are a little out of vogue. To review, a neurosis is a mental disturbance of lesser seriousness. Fear of … Continue reading →

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Love the One You’re With

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Kathy

I’ve named this phenomenon Compassion for the Other Person, meaning compassion for someone other than the person sitting in front of you. This happens when you’re telling a friend about a hurt or a problem, and the friend explains what … Continue reading →

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Causes, Again

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Kathy

I’ve been reading How Dysfunctional Families Spur Mental Disorders: A Balanced Approach to Resolve Problems and Reconcile Relationships by Dr. David M. Allen, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Allen asserts that drug … Continue reading →

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