A Developmental Model of Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Reviews the book "A Developmental Model of Borderline Personality Disorder" by Patricia Hoffman Judd and Thomas H. Mc Glashan (see record 2003-06987-000). The main portion of the book consists of four long, detailed case histories of patients who were hospitalized and treated at the Chestnut Lodge hospital between 1950 and 1975. These chapters are introduced with a brief history of Chestnut Lodge, and a summary of McGlashan's retrospective review of all patients treated at Chestnut Lodge in those years. The book concludes with two chapters; one discusses treatment aspects and the other explains many of the symptomatic and behavioral features of these patients as they relate to the developmental model outlined in the first chapter. The authors conclude that borderline personality disorder (BPD) arises in a vulnerable individual because of a combination of that vulnerability and an excess of environmental stressors, most prominent of which is maternal deprivation and/or maltreatment or abuse. The authors recommend that BPD patients should preferably be treated by a team. I also agree that contrary to the traditional analytic abstinence-rejection approach, gifts from patients should be accepted "graciously and with appreciation"- unless overdone. The authors also urge therapists to be aware that these patients often make false accusations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)