Eminem and Borderline Personality Disorder1Eminem and Borderline Personality DisorderDiagnosis of Eminem with Borderline Personality DisorderBy Andie RomnessApril 19, 2014Psych 410Professor SchieleEveryday, millions of people dream about being a celebrity. The ideas of endless money, fame, parties and attention are some of the few reasons why the lifestyles of the rich and famous are so appealing. From the outside, their lives appear to be flawless, almost unreal. They have people for everything whether it be planning their schedules, driving their cars or styling their everyday looks; it seems so easy. So why is it that so many of these people, whose lives are made look so easy, seem ...view middle of the document...
SymptomologyBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is "a pervasive pattern of unstable personal relationships, self-image, affect and impulsivity (Beidel, Bulik and Stanley 2013)." According to the Mayo Clinic, persons with BPD have feelings of "emptiness, emotional instability, periods of extreme impulsivity, risky behavior and awareness of destructive behavior, including self-injury, but sometimes feeling unable to change it." With those symptoms, it is very clear that people with BPD have a high suicide and self harm risk rate. Individuals with BPD also struggle with social relationships. They go from loving someone then dramatically shifting to hatred over a small issue or slight misunderstanding. Another key symptom is having an insecure sense of self. Their self-image and self-identity often change rapidly (Mayo Clinic, 2014). The term "borderline" refers to being on the border between neurosis and psychosis (Beidel, Bulik and Stanley 2013). Those who know people with BPD sometimes describe their friendship as an "emotional rollercoaster" (Mayo Clinic, 2014), and that it is very difficult to maintain the friendship. High stress environments or environments of unfamiliarity may trigger symptoms to occur. At the core of borderline personality disorder is an extreme fear of abandonment. Due to a severe insecurity with themselves, people with BPD become severely attached to someone they are in a relationship with because they are scared to be left alone by that person. The fear becomes so consuming that they often begin to push the other person away so that they will not be left. Naturally this leads to the other person eventually leaving which validates the fear of abandonment causing the vicious cycle to start up all over again (Dejdar, 2006). Since BPD has a lot to do with personal thoughts and feelings, it is hard to pinpoint the exact etiology of it.Etiology of Borderline Personality DisorderOver the past decade research on personality disorders has increased more and more. As with other disorders, it is unknown what exactly causes a personality disorder. Environmental, genetic and brain abnormalities all seem to play a role in the cause of borderline personality disorder. Multiple studies have found that childhood experiences are the most important factor in persons with borderline personality disorder. Childhood abuse, neglect and separation are the most common triggers among BPD patients with 87% having suffered some type of trauma related events. Of the 87%, 40-71% have been sexually abused and 25-71% have been physically abused (Winston, 2000). As with many other disorders, the earlier the abuse/trauma happens the more detrimental effect it has on the person's health overall and may create permanent neuroanatomical changes.Another theory suggests that people with BPD have a problem in the limbic system of their brain, particularly the parts that control rage, fear, emotion and impulsivity: the amygdala and hippocampus. With the help...
