JPeepers asked this question on 4/22/2000:
Can you give me some information on Borderline Personality Disorder? I have been told by many therapists that my mother most likely suffers from it. One suggested that she may be Borderline Scitzophrenic. Is that different?
She has been under Psychiatric care for many years when I was growing up and has been again for the past 6-7 years. (I'm 38 years old) My Dad only says that the Psychiatrist told him that she would never get better.
As you can imagine, my sisters and I are all in therapy but struggle with what happened to her and why she won't get better. After having my own children, it's very hard to understand how someone can treat their children the way she did and still does.
Thank You.
Imhere2listen_help asked for clarification on 4/23/2000: Could you please give me some detail on how she treated your sisters and you as children? Also when did the psychiatrist say she would never get better? What happened to her? Why won't she get better? How does she treat you now? I need to have this information, because from the description I'm getting in my mind from your words, this doesn't sound like a borderline at all? Please write back in more detail, and I will be here, and talk with you and see what's really going on here. Sometime's psychiatric professionals put labels on people, for the simple reason that they don't know what to do, or it's the popular diagnosis of the time, so please send me detail, and I will do everything I can. I promise. I know it may sound strange, but I care. This is hardly a good salary (smiling) so the only logical deduction is I care and want to help other's. Please write back. I will be waiting to hear from you. Take Care, Brenda Sue (also 38 years old)
Imhere2listen_help gave this response on 4/25/2000:
I can only give you my opinion, (and I'm not a doctor) and I can only give you my answer based on the information you've given me. Hypochondria, is when you think you are sick all the time, but it's something you convince yourself of, and is usually all in your head. I want to make sure that you understand, that I want to help, but the "professional community" in general, don't care too much for people who understand things, yet don't have a Phd. I see two things, shining really brightly in your mothers personality. She is not Borderline, and I don't believe she is schizophrenic either. I believe she has a personality disorder but the symptoms you describe fit much more under narcissistic personality disorder. I also think it's possible she is a sociopath. People always think of sociopath's as people like serial killers, but, in my opinion, that's incorrect. I believe my sister is a sociopath, based on the criteria, and her complete disregard for other's unless it benefits her. I would like you to read some information on personality disorders, and read what a "narcissistic personality" is based on, and how one who has this behaves. Go to your search engine, type in personality disorders, whoever said she was borderline, is so far off the mark, unless there is a huge amount of information you aren't telling me. I don't believe I have heard of a case that shows the behaviors of a person with narcissistic personality disorder, as strongly told as you have about your mother. Please look this up, do a little research. Let me know what you think, and then we can work on how to make your life better. I really need you to read some info on NPD and if you see your mom in it. I'll be waiting to hear from you. Take care. Brenda Sue ps Could you please rate my answer, even if you think it's a bad answer, because that is the way this site can tell if I'm actually helping people or not. Thanks!
Imhere2listen_help gave this follow-up answer on 4/25/2000:
I can only give you my opinion, (and I'm not a doctor) and I can only give you my answer based on the information you've given me. Hypochondria, is when you think you are sick all the time, but it's something you convince yourself of, and is usually all in your head. I want to make sure that you understand, that I want to help, but the "professional community" in general, don't care too much for people who understand things, yet don't have a Phd. I see two things, shining really brightly in your mothers personality. She is not Borderline, and I don't believe she is schizophrenic either. I believe she has a personality disorder but the symptoms you describe fit much more under narcissistic personality disorder. I also think it's possible she is a sociopath. People always think of sociopath's as people like serial killers, but, in my opinion, that's incorrect. I believe my sister is a sociopath, based on the criteria, and her complete disregard for other's unless it benefits her. I would like you to read some information on personality disorders, and read what a "narcissistic personality" is based on, and how one who has this behaves. Go to your search engine, type in personality disorders, whoever said she was borderline, is so far off the mark, unless there is a huge amount of information you aren't telling me. I don't believe I have heard of a case that shows the behaviors of a person with narcissistic personality disorder, as strongly told as you have about your mother. Please look this up, do a little research. Let me know what you think, and then we can work on how to make your life better. I really need you to read some info on NPD and if you see your mom in it. I'll be waiting to hear from you. Take care. Brenda Sue ps Could you please rate my answer, even if you think it's a bad answer, because that is the way this site can tell if I'm actually helping people or not. Thanks!
The average rating for this answer is 1.9.
JPeepers rated this answer a 2.