Synopses & Reviews
Life with borderline personality disorder is a life out of control. Pulled apart by warring emotions and self-destructive impulses, tormented by fears of abandonment, those with BPD rarely know real satisfaction or inner peace. BPD sufferers emotions can drive them to acts of antisocial violence and destruction or to self-mutilation, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, compulsive gambling, or sexual compulsions.
Living with someone with BPD is not easy either. Those with BPD can be charming and sympathetic, yet their violent mood swings, propensity for veering suddenly and inexplicably from adoration to hatred, and destructive impulsivity can make life with them like running an endless emotional gauntlet.
If you or someone you care for has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, this book will be a source of healing. If you suspect that your child, mate, or other loved one has BPD, it can help you to understand why that person acts the way he or she does and will show you what you can do to help make his or her lifeand your lifehappier and more rewarding.
Written by one of the most respected authorities on borderline personality disorder, Sometimes I Act Crazy is a source of wisdom and practical advice on living with the most common personality disorder. Dr. Jerold Kreisman refutes the misperception that BPD is untreatable, and he charts the enormous progress that has been made over the past decade by researchers in a variety of fields in understanding its causes and therapies. He also offers expert guidance on getting a proper diagnosis and understanding all the best treatment options currently available.
Each chapter of Sometimes I Act Crazy centers on a riveting case story that takes you inside the life of a BPD sufferer at a crucial life moment. Dr. Kreisman explores the complex play of forces at work behind the symptom or behavior under discussion. And he provides simple action steps BPD sufferers or their loved ones can take to help keep things from boiling over into a full-fledged crisis.
Wise, compassionate, and practical, Sometimes I Act Crazy offers new hope to people with borderline personality disorder and those closest to them.
Synopsis
"Kreisman's commentary is expert. . . . [He] incorporates advances in the understanding of BPD that have been made in the last fifteen years, as well as new case studies and anecdotes. . . . Narrative descriptions . . . are packed with behaviors that Kreisman then proceeds to take up and unfold, all the while . . . making suggestions for how to cope, verbally or otherwise, with a host of Borderline behaviors."
Publishers Weekly
Do you experience frightening mood swings? Are you oversensitive to rejection or prone to violent outbursts? Are you often depressed? Do you dread being alone and fear abandonment? Do you engage in self-destructive behaviors such as drug abuse or eating disorders? Do you feel empty inside? Do you have trouble keeping a job or forming lasting relationships?
If you or someone you love can answer yes to many of these questions, there's a good chance that you or that person suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, a commonly misunderstood and misdiagnosed psychological problem afflicting millions of people.
In this book, the bestselling authors of I Hate You, Don't Leave Me offer BPD sufferers and their loved ones a new source of hope. After reading this book, you will understand the disorder and know what steps to take to help you make your life happier and more rewarding, whether you suffer from BPD yourself or love someone who does. Drawing on Dr. Jerold Kreisman's long experience in treating BPD patients, Sometimes I Act Crazy offers proven, practical advice to help you:
- Manage mood swings
- Develop lasting relationships
- Improve your self-esteem
- Keep negative thoughts at bay
- Control destructive impulses
- Understand your treatment options
- Find professional help
Synopsis
A source of hope, expert advice, and guidance for people with borderline personality disorder and those who love them
Do you experience frightening, often violent mood swings that make you fear for your sanity? Are you often depressed? Do you engage in self-destructive behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse, anorexia, compulsive eating, self-cutting, and hair pulling? Do you feel empty inside, or as if you don't know who you are? Do you dread being alone and fear abandonment? Do you have trouble finishing projects, keeping a job, or forming lasting relationships?
If you or someone you love answered yes to the majority of these questions, there's a good chance that you or that person suffers from borderline personality disorder, a commonly misunderstood and misdiagnosed psychological problem afflicting tens of millions of people. Princess Diana was one of the most well-known BPD sufferers.
As a source of hope and practical advice for BPD sufferers and those who love them, this new book by Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus, bestselling authors of I Hate You, Don't Leave Me, offers proven techniques that help you:
* Manage mood swings
* Develop lasting relationships
* Improve your self-esteem
* Keep negative thoughts at bay
* Control destructive impulses
* Understand your treatment options
* Find professional help
About the Author
JEROLD J. KREISMAN, M.D., is a psychiatrist and leading world expert on Borderline Personality Disorder. His 1989 bestseller, I Hate You, Don't Leave Me, is considered a classic of both the popular and academic literature on BPD.
HAL STRAUS has written five books and numerous articles for such magazines as Ladies' Home Journal, Men's Health, and Redbook.
Table of Contents
A Note to the Reader.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
1. Borderline Basics. Action Steps: A Quick BPD Checklist.
2. Fears of Abandonment. Action Steps: Dealing with Borderline Fears of Abandonment.
3. Unstable Interpersonal relationships. Action Steps: Dealing with Intense Relationships.
4. Identity Disturbance. Action Steps: Establishing a Sense of Self.
5. Destructive Impulsivity. Action Steps: Managing Impulsivity.
6. Suicidal Behaviors and Self-Mutilation. Action Steps: Dealing with Self-Destructive Behaviors.
7. Mood Instability.
8. Emptiness. Action Steps: Filling the Emptiness.
9. Anger. Action Steps: Strategies for Coping with borderline Rage.
10. reality Distortions: Paranoia and Dissociation. Action Steps: Dealing with Borderline Psychosis.
11. Treatment Strategies and Communication Techniques. Action Steps: Finding the Right Therapist. Action Steps: General Approaches to Communication.
12. Prognosis and Directions of Future Research.
Resources.
Notes.
Index.