Through The Looking Glass - Women And Borderline Personality Disorder (Paperback)

To what extent is borderline personality disorder (BPD) a truly "female" affliction given how women are socialized? This and other questions are addressed within the context of the historical relationship between women and madness, as well as women's often-strained relationship with the psychiatric profession.In a refreshing look at the facts behind why a preponderance of women are diagnosed with BPD, Dana Becker provides evidence that the struggles of these "borderline" women are extreme versions of the day-to-day struggles many women face. Examining the relationship between gender, psychological distress, and the classification of BPD as a psychiatric disorder, the author offers a new emphasis on elements of female socialization as keys to understanding the development of borderline symptoms.The book should appeal to psychotherapists in all professional groups--psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other mental health professionals--as well as graduate students in these disciplines. It should also be valuable to those involved in the fields of women's studies, psychology of women, sociology, and the history of medicine.