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Mental Disorder Essay

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Personality disorders are very defined and recognized in today’s society. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides common language and standards classifying mental disorders. The DSM is used by many people in varying disciplines in the USA as well as many other countries. In times past, people with disorders may have been outcast from a community or even persecuted. However, in our current culture the pendulum has swung in the other direction. It almost seems that there is a trend to explain all behavior by a mental disorder. This results in needing to disprove that certain people are not displaying a disorder, rather acting within a normal human emotion or …show more content…

As the name BPD infers, it was thought to be on the border between psychotic and neurotic behavior. With stigmatizing negative association, BPD is slowly changing to no longer be considered a relevant term for diagnosing. There is a movement to change the terminology of the diagnosis to Emotional Unstable. This new term may more accurately depict what someone is going through as well as remove the negative stigmatism associated with BPD. With BPD there are often extremes in beliefs and views, such as all good or all bad. People with BPD are can be uncertain about whom they truly are as a person. With no self sense, interests and values may conflict as well as change rapidly. Their views of others may also change quickly. One day a certain person may be admired. The next day that same person may be despised or hated. Suddenly shifting feelings often foster relationships that are unstable and intense. There are numerous other identifiable traits someone with BPD may display. Some of these symptoms may include fear abandonment, feelings of emptiness and boredom, frequent displays of inappropriate anger, destructive impulsiveness, intolerance of being alone, as well as repeated self crises (i.e. self injury). Diagnosis is often made during young adulthood as well as adolescence. It is becoming apparent that some children may be displaying BPD from as early as one year old, especially as the condition is further

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