Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified: An Essential Guide for Understanding and Living with BPD 
asked by mountaindew on November 15, 2006 3:17 AM
Over six million Americans suffer from borderline personality disorder (BPD), a chronic, disabling psychiatric condition that causes extreme instability in their emotional lives, behavior, and self-image and severely impacts their family and friends. But despite the devastation it can cause, borderline personality disorder remains largely overlooked by the medical community, misunderstood by the public, and many people continue to go misdiagnosed or untreated. In Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified, Dr. Robert Friedel, a leading expert on the disorder and a pioneer in its treatment, turns his vast personal experience into a useful and supportive guide for everyone living with and seeking to understand this condition. Friedel sheds light on all the intricacies of borderline personality disorder, such as the course it takes, the difficulties in diagnosing it, and the types of treatment available, and offers effective advice on the best ways to cope with it. Filled with wisdom and encouragement, Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified is essential reading for everyone diagnosed with BPD, those who think they might have the illness, and friends and family who love and support them.
Reviews
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The book presents comprehensive overview of this disorder.
I have read a few books on Borderline Personality Disorder, but this one is the most informative.
I have read a few books on Borderline Personality Disorder, but this one is the most informative.
reviewed by gilbert on November 16, 2006 7:37 PM
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This is an excellent overall resource for BPD. It covers the history, causes and course of the disorder as well as the most common treatments both pharmacologically and therapeutically.
The scope of the book is very broad and includes information for family members, lots of additional resources, co-occurring disorders and how this problem shows up in children.
If you have a scientific bent, you will benefit a lot from the chapter on BPD and the brain. There is a lot of detail on the specific neural pathways involved in impulsive behavior, memory impairment, etc. This information is nicely summarized in easy to understand diagrams and there is a simplified bottom line explanation at the end of the chapter. This section is well explained and anyone should be able to understand it, even people intimidated by scientific explanations.
The overall tone of the book is compassionate and hopeful. The author had a sister who had this order and a lot of his motivation for writing it comes from this space of caring and wanting to share both his experience and knowledge. Being a psychiatrist, he dovetails deep knowledge with understanding and compassion.
As you may know, BPD is often misdiagnosed and this book helps differentiate multiple things that may be going on and explains how to get clear on whether or not BPD is really something that is going on. I think this is a very important section and it provides enough detail to be useful, but in general he keeps his explanations of other disorders short and to the point.
The discussion of psychotherapies is excellent and collected into an excellent summary of which ones are best and the indication for when to use them. There is a misconception that the prognosis for Borderline Disorder is not very good among many people, this is dispelled in this book and the supporting arguments for this conclusion are good.
An added bonus is current research needs and directions. If you have BPD, you will be very interested in knowing where this area is headed and hearing about the cutting edge of today's research.
I think the book could have benefited from better organization, design and more careful editing. However, the content is excellent and there is a lot of useful information in a relatively small space. This book is a one-stop resource and a nice compliment to other books that focus on one particular dimension of this issue. The shortcoming in how the information is organized and presented is my only reason for giving it a four rating, the content is excellent and it's a fairly easy read for most people.
I have a good background in psychology and also in physiology and biochemistry. At one time, I did drug research and currently I work in the psychology field. I have read a number of books on this topic and this is one of the best.
The scope of the book is very broad and includes information for family members, lots of additional resources, co-occurring disorders and how this problem shows up in children.
If you have a scientific bent, you will benefit a lot from the chapter on BPD and the brain. There is a lot of detail on the specific neural pathways involved in impulsive behavior, memory impairment, etc. This information is nicely summarized in easy to understand diagrams and there is a simplified bottom line explanation at the end of the chapter. This section is well explained and anyone should be able to understand it, even people intimidated by scientific explanations.
The overall tone of the book is compassionate and hopeful. The author had a sister who had this order and a lot of his motivation for writing it comes from this space of caring and wanting to share both his experience and knowledge. Being a psychiatrist, he dovetails deep knowledge with understanding and compassion.
As you may know, BPD is often misdiagnosed and this book helps differentiate multiple things that may be going on and explains how to get clear on whether or not BPD is really something that is going on. I think this is a very important section and it provides enough detail to be useful, but in general he keeps his explanations of other disorders short and to the point.
The discussion of psychotherapies is excellent and collected into an excellent summary of which ones are best and the indication for when to use them. There is a misconception that the prognosis for Borderline Disorder is not very good among many people, this is dispelled in this book and the supporting arguments for this conclusion are good.
An added bonus is current research needs and directions. If you have BPD, you will be very interested in knowing where this area is headed and hearing about the cutting edge of today's research.
I think the book could have benefited from better organization, design and more careful editing. However, the content is excellent and there is a lot of useful information in a relatively small space. This book is a one-stop resource and a nice compliment to other books that focus on one particular dimension of this issue. The shortcoming in how the information is organized and presented is my only reason for giving it a four rating, the content is excellent and it's a fairly easy read for most people.
I have a good background in psychology and also in physiology and biochemistry. At one time, I did drug research and currently I work in the psychology field. I have read a number of books on this topic and this is one of the best.
reviewed by runabout on November 25, 2006 2:26 PM
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This book is thorough, comprehensive and very INSIGHTFUL in its description of Borderline Personality Disorder, and offers detailed lists of available treatments, medications and resources to help patients and their families deal with this desease. I know it because I suffer from BPD and Dr. Friedel describes me to a T... I am the anxious-fearful BPD sufferer with a dose of depression... I was pleasantly surprised to find a clinician who finally gets what I think and feel, something that is not very common.
Before reading this book, I had been told I was suffering from BPD, but I really did not understand what BPD was, even while attending therapy. After reading this book, I finally believe I suffer from this disorder, and I am more informed about what kind of therapist and treatment I want and deserve.
Mr. Friedel is neither reproachful nor punishing to those suffering from BDP, something that I highly appreciate. He is a flash of fresh air among the psychiatrists and psychologists I have known, who somehow believed I did not have a real problem with my emotions and myself, and therefore believed, I could completely control my actions regardless of the level of suffering I was in... (A psychiatrist after a crisis took me aside and told me he would restrain me with a force jacket if I continued asking him questions; and I was supended from therapy, of all things, at a hospital treatment program after an on-site self-destructive incident without a discussion of the reasons I was hurting myself... that goes far enough to show that patients NEED to be discriminat about who they choose as a therapist, and Dr. Friedel points this out: not all therapists are willing nor able to treat BPD patients.)
Dr. Robert O. Friedel REALLY knows what he is talking about, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about this poorly understood disorder.
Before reading this book, I had been told I was suffering from BPD, but I really did not understand what BPD was, even while attending therapy. After reading this book, I finally believe I suffer from this disorder, and I am more informed about what kind of therapist and treatment I want and deserve.
Mr. Friedel is neither reproachful nor punishing to those suffering from BDP, something that I highly appreciate. He is a flash of fresh air among the psychiatrists and psychologists I have known, who somehow believed I did not have a real problem with my emotions and myself, and therefore believed, I could completely control my actions regardless of the level of suffering I was in... (A psychiatrist after a crisis took me aside and told me he would restrain me with a force jacket if I continued asking him questions; and I was supended from therapy, of all things, at a hospital treatment program after an on-site self-destructive incident without a discussion of the reasons I was hurting myself... that goes far enough to show that patients NEED to be discriminat about who they choose as a therapist, and Dr. Friedel points this out: not all therapists are willing nor able to treat BPD patients.)
Dr. Robert O. Friedel REALLY knows what he is talking about, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about this poorly understood disorder.
reviewed by noreason on November 25, 2006 5:20 PM
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We are writing to applaud the book "Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified" by Dr. Robert Friedel.
My wife and I have been deeply involved with those who have the BPD diagnosis. We have been voracious readers of virtually everything relevant to this diagnosis. Over the past four years while seeking to educate ourselves on BPD, we have become teachers of an excellent course for families touched by this disorder. When Dr. Friedel's book was first published, we adopted it as our "handbook", thanks to its easy readability and thorough coverage of the many challenging and sometimes confusing aspects of BPD. We also were touched by the author's personal exposure through his sister, and it was reassuring to gain first-hand knowledge from a practicing psychiatrist who not only runs a BPD clinic, but also is involved in research, writes scientific articles and teaches on this disorder. We offer an array of reading materials on BPD in our family classes, yet have found no other book as versatile, factual and useful for the entire family including the person with the BPD diagnosis. People enter our classes with expressions of helplessness and despair and it has been of great comfort to add Dr. Friedel's message of inspiration and hope. Again, we enthusiastically recommend this book as a "must read". J. Hall
My wife and I have been deeply involved with those who have the BPD diagnosis. We have been voracious readers of virtually everything relevant to this diagnosis. Over the past four years while seeking to educate ourselves on BPD, we have become teachers of an excellent course for families touched by this disorder. When Dr. Friedel's book was first published, we adopted it as our "handbook", thanks to its easy readability and thorough coverage of the many challenging and sometimes confusing aspects of BPD. We also were touched by the author's personal exposure through his sister, and it was reassuring to gain first-hand knowledge from a practicing psychiatrist who not only runs a BPD clinic, but also is involved in research, writes scientific articles and teaches on this disorder. We offer an array of reading materials on BPD in our family classes, yet have found no other book as versatile, factual and useful for the entire family including the person with the BPD diagnosis. People enter our classes with expressions of helplessness and despair and it has been of great comfort to add Dr. Friedel's message of inspiration and hope. Again, we enthusiastically recommend this book as a "must read". J. Hall
reviewed by skywalker on November 27, 2006 4:59 AM
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Having a family member suffer from BPD is overwhelming; but Dr. Friedel's book gives one great insight into recognizing this disorder and how to cope with it.
The book fully discusses diagnosis and treatment and gives great encouragement to anyone who has or must deal with BPD.
I would strongly recommend it, particularly to those without the time or resources to research the internet.
The book fully discusses diagnosis and treatment and gives great encouragement to anyone who has or must deal with BPD.
I would strongly recommend it, particularly to those without the time or resources to research the internet.
reviewed by redryder on November 29, 2006 7:53 AM