Those of us who have been touched by the mental health disorder

[tavalon]

Borderline Personality Order know it as BPD and we know that unless the person truly wants help and is willing to commit to about 10 years of cognitive Behavior Therapy, they will continue to poison any one and any venue they are given to spew their hate. I feel lucky that our BPD ex- wife, has a very mild form of it and is willing to look at some of her behaviors. It's the only reason we still allow her access to our child. Sarah Palin is full blown BPD and I see no desire to heal from her problems. So I will shun her. It is the only healthy thing to do.

The rest of this week she will escalate and it won't be pretty. Perhaps Todd will put her in an institute. It would be nice not to hear from that hillbilly harpy for a while.

[cali]

1. I'm quite familiar with BPD- and indeed it is as you describe it- but

I don't see any symptoms of BPD in Palin. There are certainly many reasons to "refudiate" Palin, but your diagnosis of her, is not one of them.

[HereSince1628]

2. Generalizing about how BPD presents is fraught with difficulty

In the US, diagnosis of borderline personality disorder is based on the presence of some combination of at least 5 of 9 symptoms/characteristics. That yields over 126 (!!!!) possible combinations of symptoms within the scope of Borderline Personality. Consequently, generalizations about persons with BPD aren't very strong.

Some experts think BPD doesn't exist as a single coherent disorder but is a consequence of co-occurring disorders. Various experts have suggested (and the WHO has accepted that) it has 2 recognizable forms: Impulsive Type (Includes explosive anger and aggressive disorders) and Borderline type (impulsivity along with disturbed self image and stormy relationships). At least 4 discernible sub-groups exist: Impulsive Anger control; Schizotypal; Rejection sensitivity; and Emotional instability. Each of the later 4 are different enough to have distinct pharmacological support.

Borderline personality disorder has a notorious reputation for being very difficult to treat. It is likely that is because it has so many ways to present and effective therapy must probably include individualized components.

There is a general belief that BPD is a disorder of psychological development that has some heritable biological components. Contemporary therapies focus on education of the patient in behavioral coping skills to reduce the interference of the disorder with a productive and meaningful life.

Time lines for therapy vary widely. Because of the emotionality of BPD patients, quiting therapy is a significant problem. One therapy that is currently seen as effective is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. It involves weekly individual sessions with a therapist and skills training in group sessions. A treatment cycle of DBT takes about 6 months to complete. It is typically repeated at least once, making the duration of initial treatment for BPD about 1 year.

[rox63]

3. I would categorize Palin as having NPD, not BPD

NPD is Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She certainly thinks the world revolves around her, and that no matter the tragedy that killed or injured 20 people in AZ, she is the real victim. :eyes: I know someone recently diagnosed with BPD. A lot of her problems arose from serious abuse as a child. Despite my friend's struggles, she is a much smarter and more compassionate person that Palin could ever be.

[HereSince1628]

4. True, BPD doesn't mean a person is dumb, or lacking in perception

Many people with BPD have an exquisitely well developed ability to 'read' the people with whom they interact. Probably because many persons with BPD fear rejection. This can lead them into trouble when they detect interpersonal semiotics that are precursors to rejection (opposites not paying attention, or seeming to not care). This is probably a significant factor in BPD persons walking out on their therapists and discontinuing therapy.