Once you become aware of BPD traits, you start to see BP everywhere. It is especially true on the cover of the National Enquirer, in movies, in-laws, outlaws, boxers, everywhere! You may question yourself and think you are getting paranoid. Most likely, you are not. This is fairly common. Just like when you buy a new car and suddenly you become aware of just how many of that make and color there are on the road.
Seriously though, BPD is far more common than most people know. Various estimates calculate that from 3% to 10% of the general population suffer from one or more personality disorders. That’s between 8 to 26 million people in the United States alone. If each of them affect only three other people, that’s tens of millions of Nons, no matter how you count it.
The best defense we have as Nons is to be educated. We should also attempt to educate those around us. You all know how valuable this information is to a Non. Phil Hartman’s wife, who killed him and then herself was known to have BPD. Princess Diana was suspected of having BPD. Mike Tyson displays classic traits. Can you say Martha Stuart? Marilyn Monroe?
We have even had a discussion on list about a certain President of recent infamy. Let’s see, there is trait 4... impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating). This trait seems to describe some of his troubles, but we won’t mention which ones specifically.
So people with personality disorders ARE everywhere, and now that you are tuned to "filter" your experience for BP traits, you’ll see lots of them around. BPs are so common in Hollywood scripts, we’ve even made a list of movies.
Public awareness of mental illness is growing, take for instance, the new understanding of an illness like Manic Depression/Bi-Polar., which began a few years ago. More and more people are becoming educated, seeking resources, and wanting to heal from the damage that this horrific disorder does to those who love and care about someone who has it.
Since PD’s most often occur in layers, called: co-morbidity, the symptoms of one personality disorder are often mixed in and over laid by the symptoms of another. Deedee’s ex was DID (dissociative identity disorder)/multiple personality disorder, had high numbers of narcissistic traits, paranoid personality disorder traits and some anti-social traits. This simply means that the numbers of 2-10% are likely VERY low.. since it’s often the ’silent mental illness’, or one that therapists and psychiatrists are loath to ’label’ a client with, for very real therapeutic and financial reasons, we both think these estimates are very low.
Watching for the symptoms of BPD is a smart thing. The traits cause lots of pain and misery. Education and watchfulness are good skills to have and will help you in your own healing. All things in moderation. Including moderation.
Since BPs have their own Non Radars... you should develop your BP radar. Some help in developing these skills is available on the Lightning Strikes Twice page.
-Deedee and Kelly
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Disclaimer: The information on this site (http://www.bpd411.org) is based on personal experiences of the authors and members of our e-mail mailing list. It is NOT meant to replace professional advice or take the place of counseling, therapy or additional personal research.
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