Monday, April 10, 2017

Review ~ I Hate You-Don't Leave Me by Jarold Kreisman

This will be a bit different as far as my reviews go. 
Title: I Hate You-Don't Leave Me
Author: Jarold Kreisman
Pages: 288

Reason I read: I teach Lunch and Learns at work and needed to teach on the subject of Borderline Personality Disorder

Summary:
"Am I losing my mind?" 

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience such violent and frightening mood swings that they often fear for their sanity. They can be euphoric one moment, despairing and depressed the next. There are an estimated 18 million sufferers of BPD living in America today-each displaying remarkably similar symptoms: 

* A shaky sense of identity 
* Sudden outbursts of anger 
* Oversensitivity to real or imagined rejection 
* Brief, turbulent love affairs 
* Intense feelings of emptiness 
* Eating disorders, drug abuse, and other self-destructive tendencies 
* An irrational fear of abandonment and an inability to be alone 

For years BPD was difficult to describe, diagnose, and treat. But with this classic guide, Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman and health writer Hal Straus offer much- needed professional advice, helping victims and their families understand and cope with this troubling, shockingly widespread affliction. This completely revised and updated edition includes information on the most up-to-date research that has opened doors to the neurobiological, genetic, and developmental roots of the disorder, as well as the connections between BPD and substance abuse, sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, and eating disorders, making it a vital reference for understanding and living with BPD


Thoughts
I have worked in the field of counseling/case management/mental health for going on 10 years. Throughout my time in this profession I have ran across BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) many a times. I have seen it in youths and in adults. I have dealt with it daily and I have avoided this diagnosis like the plague. I was part of a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy geared for BPD) group for nearly 2 years before I decided ENOUGH. Now I don't usually work with this diagnosis as I am behind the scenes in management a little more then I use to be and I was able to take a moment to appreciate all the things I "thought I knew" vs all the things "I don't know" about the disorder.
Some times as clinicians we get so wrapped up in our own lives, meeting production, running this way and that, juggling 50 on our caseloads, that we forget what makes a borderline personality disorder just that. We lose that compassion and empathy that originally brought us into the field and we get tired not sure what to say or do to help out the people that demand so much of our attention. Being in the field as long as I was I lost that and would do the dread "Oh no please I can't handle a BPD consumer today I already have too many" speech when it was even approached. Now after reading this book I realize that it should be a book every undergrad is required to read before they go into the field. Would it make it any less difficult... no probably not, but it would help us to keep in mind why we got in this field and why we need that compassion and empathy the most with BPD diagnosis. It would also help us because it gives skills to the fresh eyed bushy tail social worker or counselor on how to deal with the diagnosis that doesn't burn them out. 
This books was a huge success at work and a great read for this clinician. Apparently you are never to old to learn something new. I highly recommend this book if you work with any personality diagnosis but particularly borderline. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping in I appreciate you taking the time to leave some feedback! Hope you have a fantastic day 😄