Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)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.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified: An Essential Guide for Understanding and Living with BPD
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. In Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified, Dr. Robert Friedel, a leading expert in BPD and a pioneer in its treatment, has turned his vast personal experience into a useful and supportive guide for everyone living with and seeking to understand this condition. Friedel helps readers grasp the etiology of Borderline Personality Disorder, the course it takes, the difficulties in diagnosing it, the types of treatment available, strategies for coping, and much more. Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified is an invaluable resource for everyone diagnosed with BPD, those who think they might have the illness, and friends and family who love and support them.
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