tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post7240711574308196961..comments2024-02-17T04:06:00.805-05:00Comments on Just Not Said: Borderline personality disorderJohn Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-36769577524486035132022-05-04T17:33:23.179-04:002022-05-04T17:33:23.179-04:00Gethin --
I'm going to disagree with you here:...Gethin --<br />I'm going to disagree with you here: the reason sociopaths and narcissists can't be changed is because you can't change character, and the Cluster B disorders are essentially about character, bad character. It' snot a lack of insight: sociopaths wouldn't be as successfully manipulative as they are if they didn't have insight into others, and while they shade all of their perceptions to their own benefit, if you point out to them that if in a certain situation the show were on the other foot, they are capable of seeing that they would view that situation differently. But they just don't care enough to change, and have spent a lifetime reaping the benefits of their own character disorder ("There are two kinds of people in this world, my friend, sheep and wolves. You are the former and I am the latter, which is why I'm such a winner"). <br /><br />In my previous reply to you I said I wasn't wild about the label "emotionally unstable personality disorder," EUPD. I thought about it more later on and decided I liked it even less not just because it would also describe bipolar personalities, but because there's actually a character flaw that's connected to it. I've known a few bipolar, and I never saw them as bad people; they were moody, and often illogical, and often I didn't want to be around them. But the one borderline I know is different: she is a very grasping woman. She butters up to all of her husband's rich relatives, hoping she can inherit some money from them, and ignores her husband's poor relatives. And while she throws enormous fits which can last for days if she feels she has been insulted or disrespected in any way, she never shows that side of herself to the rich relatives. She is constantly thinking of ways she can get things from people and is, overall, a loathsome personality. That's just bad character, period. And "emotionally unstable" just doesn't capture her essence. <br /><br />Two more public examples: Rosie O'Donnell and Rose McGowan, in my opinion, are both borderlines. Do you think they will ever change? Both are extremely vindictive and have picked frequent public fights in the past. (I've written about both on this blog.) Do you think they will ever change? I don't think so. And I find it hard not to see character flaws in both. (And both, btw, seem to have had a pretty strong sense of what they wanted in life, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten as far as they did.)<br /><br />Another difference between bipolar and borderline is that the former seems to be organic in nature, a matter of brain chemistry. And being borderline seems to be more a matter of background (though it's not always completely clearcut). One indication of this is that most borderline personalities are women (3/4s of borderlines are women) who were molested when quite young, so obviously there is a strong environmental component to the making of a borderline. (Just as there is with narcissists, who were often ignored as children, and sociopaths, who were often abused.John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-32484689171187733452022-05-04T16:50:29.483-04:002022-05-04T16:50:29.483-04:00No, narcissists & sociopaths cannot be treated...No, narcissists & sociopaths cannot be treated because they lack insight. They're unable ever to admit that they were wrong. This is evident in those prison pen pal ads, where they describe heinous crimes as "mistakes", as though they'd only received a parking fine. Sociopaths especially will go through life with erratic, short-lived relationships that inevitably break down, yet be unable to recognise their own role in causing this.<br /><br />Apparently, borderlines can be cured in rare cases. I've been meaning to read a book, 'Buddha & The Borderline', about a woman who used Buddhism to recover. But my field experience tells me such instances are rare. Even borderlines themselves were criticising the book on Amazon.co.uk, one commenting "This book is about someone at the upper level of the BPD spectrum".<br /><br />Whenever I've met borderlines, it turns out they've been like that since their early teenage years. They'll have had a history of self-harm, drugs or bulimia as adolescents. I had problems (chronic depression) at that age too, but mine had a single cause, and went away as soon as I fixed the situation in my 20s - and I've lived happily since. For borderlines, they don't even have a stable sense of who they are or what they want in life, so how are they supposed to get better? At most, therapy will help them for a limited time until they start feeling empty again. The emptiness gets so unbearable that they try to fill it with wild sex, drugs and volatile relationships, to "feel alive". Eventually, they attempt suicide and re-enter therapy. Wash, rinse, repeat. Before we know it, the borderline in question is well over 40 and still behaving like she did in school.<br /><br />No one can help them: not psychiatrists, not laymen. <br /><br />- Gethin Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-51055869904464521422022-05-03T19:14:59.938-04:002022-05-03T19:14:59.938-04:00Gethin --
I did read once about a psychiatrist (or...Gethin --<br />I did read once about a psychiatrist (or maybe psychotherapist) who said that he/she would only treat one borderline at a time, just because they were so exhausting to treat. (And does anyone really believe that any of the Cluster B disorders are "curable?" I don't think you can cure narcissism anymore than you can cure sociopathy.) <br /><br />I hadn't heard that borderline disorder had been renamed EUPD. I agree that's a better name for it, but it's still a little confusing. "Emotionally unstable" could also describe anyone with bipolar disorder. And, frankly, "moody" probably describes a lot of us. <br /><br />You're right, any sentence with seven commas in it usually requires a few reads just to make sure you got its meaning right, and almost no book which requires that much effort is worth reading. (I also think there's a correlation between clear prose and clear thinking and that the reverse is true too.)John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-55468456517268642992022-05-03T13:33:01.416-04:002022-05-03T13:33:01.416-04:00I personally know a psychiatrist with >30 years...I personally know a psychiatrist with >30 years of experience. She hated borderlines and anorexics because they were manipulative and notoriously difficult to treat. She said borderlines are usually white, able-bodied women from privileged backgrounds who attended the best schools and lived in the nicest neighbourhoods. They've often had the privilege of university education. And yet, they're convinced the world has done them nothing but injustice. According to that psychiatrist, borderline claims of abuse often turn out to be bogus. She had several male patients whose lives had been ruined by the false allegations of their borderline partners. You're right: unlike with sociopaths, borderlines actually believe their own lies.<br /><br />As of 2013, BPD has officially been renamed EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) because that's supposedly a more accurate description. The name "Borderline" came about because 1970s psychiatrists believed such patients to be on the cusp between neurosis and psychosis. Having unwillingly done my field research, I agree with the 1970s psychiatrists: if borderlines aren't delusional, how else do we explain the discrepancy between their reports of abuse and the reality?<br /><br />RE Russell: <br />I enjoy philosophy because it answers many burning questions. However, with a full-time job, I scarcely find the time to read it so I cheat by reading summaries of the ideas. Not only that, but I find the books inaccessible. Even if your ideas are amongst the best ever thought, you're not going to convince others if they struggle to understand you. I had to really push myself to read Mill's 1859 'On Liberty' and I only did because I'd heard it was a masterpiece. Instead of starting new sentences, he'd use long ones with seven commas or so, making him hard to follow. <br /><br />Contemporary philosophers such as Martha Nussbaum are significantly easier to read, possibly because editors insist on it. Other than the Stoics (who write in bullet points rather than prose), Russell is the only pre-1950 philosopher whom I can read without too much effort. His style is dated (for example, "men of science" instead of "scientists"), but still accessible today. Unlike so many philosophers, he injects humour into his arguments. I've thus read more of his work than any other philosophers and, you're right, he is one heck of a psychologist! If you have time, 'The Conquest of Happiness' is his best work, IMO. He goes into depth about how people think: normal people and crazies. <br /><br />- GethinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-50359795390242902582022-05-03T10:02:08.954-04:002022-05-03T10:02:08.954-04:00Gethin --
Good to hear from you.
As I said in my...Gethin --<br />Good to hear from you. <br /><br />As I said in my response to your other comment from this morning, I haven't had as much personal experience with borderlines as with either narcissists or sociopaths, so can't speak with much authority. I haven't witnessed the oversharing thing myself. But I have witnessed the way they will twist things around in such a way that they will feel wronged, even when they haven't been. And the way you describe R's behavior certainly rings true. I'm sure -- and I'm sure you realize -- that as a borderline she had actually convinced herself of her victim status, rather than it just being a sly way of gaining more "status," as it would be with a sociopath. <br /><br />Couldn't agree with you marabout people who claim to be endless victims. <br /><br />Interesting about Bertrand Russell. He's famous as a mathematician and philosopher, hadn't realised he was such a psychologist as well. (Though, I suppose in a way, psychology is sort of a subset of philosophy.)John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-86340045555611943942022-05-03T06:00:37.239-04:002022-05-03T06:00:37.239-04:00I've been thinking a lot about Cluster B behav...I've been thinking a lot about Cluster B behaviour recently so I reread this blog.<br /><br />"And they tend to be forthright about their insecurities" - this to a max! They even make up insecurities.<br /><br />Another huge red flag is oversharing. Many people have (had) mental health issues, and briefly mentioning that you have isn't a red flag. But borderlines quickly tend to go into elaborate detail about suicide attempts, self-harming incidents, voices they hear, how thin they were as anorexics, the drugs they abuse, etc. They tell this to people they barely know.<br /><br />I've mentioned abuse before, that they obsessively talk about how they were (allegedly!) abused. The borderline I knew (R) kept telling anyone who'd listen that she'd been raped as a child. This was stretching the definition of "child" as she was 16 at the time. Eventually, I got a chance to verify R's claims. She left her diary lying around and, there being no one else present, I read it. It went into detail about the "rape": the man got on top of her, naked, and she asked him to stop before penetration, which he did. The diary went into detail about her emotional state at the time, and that she thought he was going to rape her, but by her own admission didn't. So she spent years dragging an innocent man's name through the mud all because she feared a rape might happen.<br /><br />I recently looked up R's Twitter profile and it states in her bio that she is a rape victim. She also claims to have been homeless but, what she means by that is that she was threatened by homelessness because of rent arrears. She admitted in a blog post that she was never out on the streets. Obviously, she hasn't changed since I knew her nearly 15 years ago.<br /><br />Moral of the story: be wary of people who claim to be endless victims! Even Bertrand Russell warns of these types of people in 'The Conquest of Happiness', though he doesn't use the term Borderline (because it wasn't a thing in 1930).<br /><br />Quote: "If one person in a given set receives, according to his own account, universal ill-treatment, the likelihood is that the cause lies in himself, and that either he imagines injuries from which in fact he has not suffered, or unconsciously behaves in such a way as to arouse uncontrollable irritation. Experienced people therefore become suspicious of those who by their own account are invariably ill-treated by the world...when he finds a hard-luck story believed, [he] will embellish it until he reaches the frontier of credibility; when, on the other hand, he finds it disbelieved, he has merely another example of the peculiar hard-heartedness of mankind towards himself"<br /><br />Undoubtedly, Russell had contact with Cluster B types. (Changing the topic: Russell is often on the list of "famous Aspies", just because he was eccentric. Anyone who actually reads his work, and sees the insight he has into other people, will realise he couldn't possibly have been autistic.)<br /><br />- GethinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-43769028846629367752017-12-22T04:59:22.261-05:002017-12-22T04:59:22.261-05:00Gethin --
Thank you re; "red flags."
M...Gethin --<br />Thank you re; "red flags." <br /><br />My sample size for borderlines is so small (two, that I'm sure of) that I can't speak with much authority, but I can't say I have any fondness for them. Then again, while Ive known a fair number of sociopaths, I can't say I have any fondness for them either, simply because I know they have none for me. <br /><br />That said, I agree that sociopaths can be fun in the short run, and many are quite charming, indeed, that's part of their profile. I AM in awe of how cool they can be at times, though. (You have to be cold to be that cool.)John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-73875296646291096192017-12-22T03:43:41.077-05:002017-12-22T03:43:41.077-05:00Oh, yeah, sorry! I've read so many of your pos...Oh, yeah, sorry! I've read so many of your posts over the years that I don't remember them all individually, just the blog as a whole. I re-read that post just now, before posting this and still think it's one of your finest entires.<br /><br />I'm not surprised you've been threatened with legal action. I was wondering about that, since you make it personal. Remember though: it's not libel if it's true. Her threatening to sue you probably confirms that she was more likely BPD than a sociopath. Sociopaths usually take criticism badly, but they can also think "any publicity is good publicity" (a sociopath might see your post about him as a badge of honour) whereas borderlines invariably lash out. Sociopaths are a lot more fun than borderlines, as long as you don't get too closely involved with them. Amazingly, I still have a slight fondness for some sociopaths I've known because at least I initially had a good time with them, but I feel nothing but repulsion for the borderlines.<br /><br />- GethinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-11926678296593405212017-12-21T15:54:54.684-05:002017-12-21T15:54:54.684-05:00Gethin --
I agree, borderlines can be evil. I actu...Gethin --<br />I agree, borderlines can be evil. I actually think that in retrospect I misdiagnosed one woman (on this blog) as a sociopath when she was in fact a borderline. (I had to take the post down anyway because she threatened to sue me, and I took the path of least resistance.) But it's easy to mistake the two, both can act like Harpies from Hell. <br /><br />You "seem to remember" me writing a post about warning signs for sociopathy?? I wrote "Red flags for sociopathy" at your behest, you ingrate! You asked me to compile such a list, and I did so, one of the very few times I've taken a suggestion. <br /><br />I'd say borderlines imagine slights evermore than sociopaths do. (I'd say sociopaths generally have a pretty good sense of what's going on socially.) And if borderlines have a paranoid worldview, it's only because they're assuming that everyone else is as much of a schemer as they are. And yeah, agree about criticism. <br /><br />Agree with your advice. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-6742128516303457762017-12-21T15:20:16.411-05:002017-12-21T15:20:16.411-05:00Borderlines can be nearly as evil as sociopaths. T...Borderlines can be nearly as evil as sociopaths. Think of all those women who make false rape accusations: they're probably borderline. The difference between a sociopath's lies and a borderline's is that the latter's is always malicious, whereas the former's incorporates harmless tall tales, told for fun. <br /><br />Borderlines feel chronically empty inside, so denigrating other people is a form of projection. Like sociopaths, they use people: lovebomb them when they need support then ditch them when they're no longer useful.<br /><br />Aspies can be exasperating, but at least they're predictable. A borderline has even more of a Jerkyll & Hyde personality than a sociopath. <br /><br />They make a lot of suicide threats but, unlike sociopaths, they sometimes actually carry them out, causing so much more anguish for loved ones.<br /><br />I seem to remember you writing a post about the warning signs for sociopathy. A warning sign for BPD is them telling you about how they were once abused when you've only started getting to know them. That's a big red warning sign, whether it's true or not. <br /><br />Borderlines are extremely unforgiving (as much as sociopaths) and imagine slights against them. They have a paranoid worldview, where they imagine people conspiring against them. That people make mistakes, or are simply thoughtless, doesn't register: everything must be a planned conspiracy against them. They're totally unable to take any criticism, however constructive.<br /><br />Eating disorders are another sign, especially bulimia. Not everyone with bulimia has BPD or vice versa, but there is a correlation.<br /><br />My advice for guys thinking about dating a BPD woman: don't! Run like hell and don't ever look back. I know this isn't really politically correct advice (it's not their fault they're sick, we should be tolerant of the mentally ill, etc) but it'll spare you so much pain and regret. BPD is curable, but so many with the condition don't want to/aren't trying to recover.<br /><br />- GethinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-83052455726726494992017-10-01T08:13:15.511-04:002017-10-01T08:13:15.511-04:00Ga --
Interesting, the difference between OCD and ...Ga --<br />Interesting, the difference between OCD and OCPD. <br /><br />My impression of the two borderlines I've known is that it's a character defect, not something organic. Though who knows, it's always impossible to say how much of anything is organic vs. environmental/circumstance. Certain sociopaths have evidently become that way because of frontal lobe damage, so who knows. The mere fact that "Borderline" is one of the four Cluster B's, though, makes me think of it as a character disorder. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-31880063721125817792017-10-01T05:54:39.048-04:002017-10-01T05:54:39.048-04:00I remember taking a look at the DSM a way back. Th...I remember taking a look at the DSM a way back. There were two disorders I noticed. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive personality disorder. A person with OCD can likely have aquired OCDP I imagine. One is organic, a disorder where you do things like wash your hands over and over while being fully aware there is no point, or have to arrange all your pencils in order for hours while in tears knowing you can't stop yourself. <br /><br />The other is a personality disorder where you are:<br /> "characterized by a general pattern of concern with orderliness, perfectionism, excessive attention to details, mental and interpersonal control, and a need for control over one's environment, at the expense of flexibility, openness to experience, and efficiency."<br /><br />Maybe there is a type of Borderline disorder that is not a character defect, but something more like PTSD, differences would show up in a brain scan. You fluctuate from angry and lashing out to sobbing and realizing what you've done, you are not in control of your temper, you live in constant anxiety and fear, you don't know what you will do next to those around you.<br /><br />I imagine the people diagnosed with BPD who do want to seek help and think something is wrong with them may have this more organic type. It wouldn't be a personality disorder but something else, maybe a stress/trauma/mood disorder.<br /><br />The other is a character defect, a true personality disorder where you are just a bastard/bitch who thinks everyone is against you. You lash out, but because you are just incredibly mad and a needy person.<br /><br />That was a hypothesis I thought of.<br /><br />Also there is a disorder I remember called "schizotypal personality disorder" which, looking at, doesn't seem like personality disorder, the symptoms seem clinical (or at least subclinical) enough to be organic like thought process disorder/impairment, disorganized speech, poor social cognition, motor retardation, and difficulty with eye contact, doesn't seem like having a problematic behavior is the cause. Why do they call it a personality disorder if it's like that? <br /><br />Also among cluster B I noticed Histrionic. My theory: I think the difference between Histrionic and narcissism is the former is vainglory and the latter pride as the sin. <br /><br />Vainglory is one of the 9 Christian deadly sins during the middle ages (they had 2 extra, the other is "despair" not depression but self defeatism and indulging yourself in misery like "poor me! why me! The world sucks! I'm staying in my mother's basement until I die!". <br /><br />It roughly translates to "vanity" now, but the difference is during the 12-15th century, vainglory was not associated with egoism nor had narcissistic undertones back then, rather it was associated with FUTILITY. (I am still trying to piece together what they fully meant. Deliberately engaging in futile actions over and over itself is a destructive behavior I imagine.)<br /><br />To either, the world revolves around them, but a narcissist is full of pride, a histrionic would be a very very futile person.<br /><br />-GaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-81026088070940408802017-07-30T06:46:25.269-04:002017-07-30T06:46:25.269-04:00Ga --
My experience is that it is more the latter;...Ga --<br />My experience is that it is more the latter; you're describing it accurately. The former sounds more like bipolar, or something else. Of the two borderlines I've known, neither was ever apologetic. But again, I'm working from a (known) sample size of two, so I'm not exactly an authority, and it's possible there are subtypes I'm unaware of.<br /><br />Also, their moods didn't swing quite that fast. One in particular could stay angry for days. And neither had what I'd consider good character. (It IS a Cluster B disorder.) There is a fair amount of conniving that goes on, and also a lot of convincing themselves that they're in the right even when they're obviously not. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-50071985436575020392017-07-30T00:53:37.228-04:002017-07-30T00:53:37.228-04:00I feel confused by what Borderlines are like since...I feel confused by what Borderlines are like since I never met one in person.<br />My impression was it was like this from some articles or videos on the subject:<br /><br />DFASEFWRFSRA I am so angry you stupid SFSDFSGWSG, rage!!@!!!!#@#! I hate you!!!!<br /><br />10 minutes later<br /><br />Sorry! please! Sob sob! Ahhhh please dont abandon me!!!!! Why do you hate me? I just want you to forgive me pllllleeeeassseee!<br /><br />I found a youtube video, some comments were from people with the condition saying how they wish they didn't have it and more, commonsensical, aware of the problems they have and they cause others.<br /><br />But! I did see someone post on a forum who definitely was borderline but she wasn't like this. It was more like:<br /><br />You asfafsae worthless scum! I do so much but you all treat me like garbage you hateful bigots! (Expletitives)<br /><br />10 minutes later<br /><br />"What is this borderline? It is a sexist term for just PTSD. (Acts nice in public around people but later talks bade about them)" (justifys outburst) I am such an empathetic and sensitive person, I love music and art, so deep and full of compassion (but only for people she relates to or likes).<br /><br />no pleading or sobbing or begging for forgiveness<br /><br />Maybe there are two subtypes? Were the internet posts I saw from this person too subjective? Were the youtube comments different? From people wishing to be treated? What is going on I am confused!<br /><br />The former portrayal seems like a legitimate mental disorder, the other I saw looks like just being a bitch/bastard.<br /><br />-GaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-10747128047754297552017-03-22T13:12:49.270-04:002017-03-22T13:12:49.270-04:00Anthony --
That's a pretty good summation.
I...Anthony --<br />That's a pretty good summation. <br /><br />I apologize, but I don't remember your name. I don't think you've commented under it recently. (And I'll assume you're neither narcissistic nor histrionic and therefore won't be too offended that I don't remember.) I did recognize your "voice" (especially the "hehe") from recent comments, but there have been over 2400 posts now, and most of the recent ones have gotten a fair number of comments, so......sorry.John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-12107480565979048402017-03-22T12:41:37.233-04:002017-03-22T12:41:37.233-04:00http://healthresearchfunding.org/histrionic-vs-nar...http://healthresearchfunding.org/histrionic-vs-narcissistic/<br /><br />More differences, the histrionic is fragile and insecure inside and need validation to keep themselves going. The narcissist thinks every is already fine and demands attention to keep confirm what they already believe..<br /><br />Anthony (I think you may remember me)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-27962787580919814822017-03-22T12:38:14.732-04:002017-03-22T12:38:14.732-04:00Anon --
(Please use some sort of pseudonym, so I k...Anon --<br />(Please use some sort of pseudonym, so I know I'm talking to the same person.) <br /><br />Agreed, it would be easy to mistake histrionics for narcissists. I've thought a little since (I assume) you mentioned histrionics. I can't help but wonder if a fair number of the rioters we've seen since Trump got elected don't suffer from this disorder. <br /><br />And you're right, it is a fine line but your description of the essential difference rings true. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-30286357708556439332017-03-22T12:29:08.152-04:002017-03-22T12:29:08.152-04:00We may need to reevaluate some people who we thoug...We may need to reevaluate some people who we thought were narcissists who actually were histrionic. Both are egocentric and egotistical, but the histrionic's behaviour doesn't stem from being the same kind of egotistical a narcissist is. The narcissistic is in love with themselves and seeks other pleasure, attention, and other people's praise to secure their own ego. The histrionic person also seeks out attention, pleasure, and praise too, but for its own sake. They seek them out because they want to directly get high off it.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-43425998990182222382017-03-21T12:19:11.752-04:002017-03-21T12:19:11.752-04:00Anon --
You're right, that doesn't sound a...Anon --<br />You're right, that doesn't sound all that rare. Those characteristics also sound quite female, to b honest, at least the way they're phrased. I"m not sure i"d classify all hedonists as histrionics, the hedonism has to be accompanied by dramatics to qualify. <br /><br />Two percent?? I suppose everyone has SOMETHING wrong with them. But what a lot of people have wrong with them doesn't really impinge on other people that much, and I'm less interested in the garden variety neurosis-type stuff. <br /><br />If I had to classify myself -- and this is something I HAVE thought about, obviously, I'd say I'm a depressive and also neurotic. As far as the tendency to depression, I've pretty much warded that off with exercise most of my life. And when I succumb, it just means I'm in a lousy mood and things seem bleak. (In a way, you could say this entire blog is an a expression of that outlook.) <br /><br />As far as being neurotic, I've written a 20-part series called "Confessions of a beta male," in which my every reaction and thought could be classified as that of a neurotic. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-22531635692706659232017-03-21T12:03:28.515-04:002017-03-21T12:03:28.515-04:00Oh wait, I found out what histrionics are, nymphom...Oh wait, I found out what histrionics are, nymphomaniacs and hedonists. If you have met one, then they were histrionic. They seek out and seduce people for pleasure and are egotistical and hedonistic. It seems to be the least damaging cluster b disorder concerning violence. I wonder what it is doing up there with psychopathy when it sounds just like extreme bitchiness or douchbaggery.<br /><br />Here is what I got from wikipedia:<br /><br />PRAISE ME<br /><br />Provocative (or seductive) behavior<br />Relationships are considered more intimate than they actually are<br />Attention-seeking<br />Influenced easily by others or circumstances<br />Speech (style) wants to impress; lacks detail<br />Emotional lability; shallowness<br />Make-up; physical appearance is used to draw attention to self<br />Exaggerated emotions; theatrical<br /><br />So hedonists and pleasure seekers. We have probably met so many people in our life with disorders which we chalked up to personality differences. <br /><br />I also read that only 2% of the USA or worlds population (can't remember) is truly "healthy". It doesn't have to be a severe disorder. Almost everyone has something going on like a video game addiction, depression, irrational phobias, anger management, addiction food (every single obese person minus the few with legitimate disorders like cushings disease or thyroid problems) and more. That 2% of "healthy people" are the minority obviously.<br /><br />Have you ever shared some of the problems you have struggled with in life?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-37443849824472895882017-03-21T11:58:20.900-04:002017-03-21T11:58:20.900-04:00Anon --
Honestly, I know little about histrionic d...Anon --<br />Honestly, I know little about histrionic disorder; I prefer to write about things where I've had at least a little personal experience. I suppose I must have known people with the disorder, but never recognized it as such, and have devoted no thought to it. (Or maybe, I've known so many of them in my life that it just seems normal to me.) <br /><br />Now that you mention it, though, "histrionic" does seem to describe the behavior we've seen at recent demonstrations quite well, and I've always found the intersection of politics and psychology fascinating (and an underanalyzed field). <br /><br />Sorry, don't know the two blue wizards. Am I not old enough? Or too old? (I'm guessing the latter.) I did read "The Fellowship of the Rings" in 1967, when I was 13.John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-36475344439763518552017-03-21T11:51:23.073-04:002017-03-21T11:51:23.073-04:00Will you write a post about histrionic? It's t...Will you write a post about histrionic? It's that one cluster b that never seems to be written about anywhere, we know it exists but nothing more is said. Like the two blue wizards in Lord of the Rings (are you old enough to get that reference? hehehehe)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-76567099832494300802017-03-21T10:01:17.092-04:002017-03-21T10:01:17.092-04:00Anon --
That's certainly possible (one loving ...Anon --<br />That's certainly possible (one loving parent, another not). One of the things cited in the literature for borderlines is the possibility of easy sexual abuse, too, and that could be at the hands of anyone. <br /><br />"Borderline" makes it sound as if it's at the border of sociopathy, but I don't really see it that way. Borderlines actually delude themselves into thinking they're in the right all the time, sociopaths don't need to do that (though they're certainly capable of seeing themselves as victims when they're clearly not), and that's a crucial difference, even though some the behavior ends up being similar. Sociopaths are much more dishonest by nature, borderlines are merely delusionary.<br /><br />The honest answer to your question is, I don't know what causes borderline, and don't even have a strong opinion about it. I've only known two borderlines fairly well, and have some sense of their backgrounds, but I don't know either set of parents that well, and in any case two is way too small of a sample size to draw any conclusions from. John Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08729625146043379286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-84002101315096881012017-03-21T09:34:35.956-04:002017-03-21T09:34:35.956-04:00Do you think borderline may be caused by having on...Do you think borderline may be caused by having one loving or maybe doting parent and one abusive parent? Or having abusive parents but another person in your life who is not? Causing a person to alternate? They are at the borderline of sociopathy and non-sociopathy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794535954827182754.post-35567105272873562072017-03-17T09:37:53.720-04:002017-03-17T09:37:53.720-04:00After learning about personality disorders, I susp...After learning about personality disorders, I suspected my grandmother of having one. Due to her mother's influence, I suspect my mother of having had a personality disorder (she died age 91, this past December).<br /><br />- birdie<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com