BPD: an animation - Research and inspiration sources

Hello, 
to make my essay I researched on different sources, (the bibliography is at the bottom of this post).

I looked at short films and animations that would talk about the same theme.

I decided I wanted to create something different, trying to represent symptons and emotions rather than the label "disorder" itself. 

Researching I found many informations, mainly on health websites.

"Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships. People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that can last from a few hours to days."

"The symptoms of BPD can be grouped into four main areas:

• emotional instability – the psychological term for this is "affective dysregulation"
• disturbed patterns of thinking or perception – ("cognitive distortions" or "perceptual distortions")
• impulsive behaviour
• intense but unstable relationships with others"

"Difficult feelings and behaviour towards yourself:

• lonely
• overwhelmed by the strength of your emotions and how quickly they change
• like there is something inherently wrong with you, and that it’s your fault if bad things happen to you because you deserve them
• that you don't know what you want from life, or what you like or dislike
• like you’re a bad person, or not a real person at all
• like you are a child in an adult world.
• self-harming or attempting suicide
• overspending or binge eating
• using recreational drugs, alcohol or smoking to try to cope with your emotions
• quitting just before achieving something, or avoiding activities where you think you might fail or be disappointedoften changing jobs, hobbies, goals or plans
• keeping very busy so you're never alone.

Regarding loneliness


"What's it like to live with BPD?

• difficult feelings and behaviour towards yourself
• difficult feelings and behaviour towards others
• alcohol and substance misuse
• BPD and other mental health problems
• experiences of facing stigma"

"Difficult feelings and behaviour towards others

• that friends or partners will leave you forever if they are angry or upset with you
• like no one understands you, or you’re not like other people and will never be able to understand them
• that people are either completely perfect and kind, or bad and hurtful, and there's no middle ground (this is sometimes called splitting, or black-and-white thinking)
• like the world is a scary and dangerous place, and you want to run away and hide.
• getting very angry or frustrated with people
• struggling to trust people
• wanting to be close to people but worrying they will leave or reject you, and so avoiding them
• having unrealistic expectations of people or contacting them very frequently
• ending relationships with friends or partners because you think they might leave you
• anxiously looking out for signs that people might reject you."

"People can develop BPD even if they have not experienced child abuse or other childhood trauma. Health professionals should not assume that everyone with BPD has experienced such trauma.

Many people with BPD do report difficulties in their upbringing, which might include not feeling important to others, neglect, physical abuse or sexual abuse.

Many people who have bad experiences during childhood do not develop BPD.

In the past, researchers and doctors focused on trauma as a cause of BPD, but the latest research shows BPD has multiple causes and does not always include trauma. For example, genetic factors may make a person extremely emotionally sensitive."

"Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships. People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that can last from a few hours to days."

(source: nimh)

"Your experience of living with BPD will be unique to you, but this page describes some common experiences that you might recognise:

"My experience is that I have to keep my emotions inside, because I get told I am overreacting. So I end up feeling like I'm trapped inside my body screaming while no one can hear me."

How you might think or feel:

My BPD diagnosis affects every part of my life… my relationships, identity, career choices, moods etc. I’ve had such identity issues that I’ve changed my name twice by deed poll… it’s a terrible, painful feeling to not know who you are. It is a real struggle some days to battle everything that is going on.

"It feels like there is something missing from inside me and no one understands when I try to explain how I feel."

"One thing that I find helps is when others validate my emotions, as I often feel guilty for having them."
(source:mind)

Bibliografy

Books

Ekman, P. (2003) Emotions revealed. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson

Van Eijk, M. (2018) Remember when you’re sad. London: Lagom

Kent-Inge, P. (2006) Borderline Personality Disorder, Studies of suffering, quality of life and dialectical behavioural therapy. Stockholm: Universitetsservice US AB

Kreisman, J., Straus, H. (2010) I Hate You— Don’t Leave Me. New York: Penguin Group

Williams, R. (2001) The Animator’s survival kit. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Kerslake, B. (2011) Alice Madness returns. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books

Studies

Sansone, R., Sansone L. (2011) ‘Gender Patterns in Borderline Personality Disorder’, Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience

Spodenkiewicz, M., Speranza, M., Taïeb, O., Pham-Scottez, A., Corcos, M., Révah-Levy, A., (2013) ‘Living from Day to Day – Qualitative Study on Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescence’, Journal of the Canadian Academy Child Adolescent Psychiatry

Videos

GameNewsOfficial (2011) Alice: Madness Returns - Intro Trailer. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGQ-y4XbI0s&t=34s&index=7&list=PLj5WRQMw4qLQNd43qKT5O_83yXgetSOaN (Accessed: 20 November 2017).

Ofir Sasson (2010) Borderline Personality Disorder. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iraGmA7-9FA (Accessed: 7 March 2018).

Brittany Simon (2018) What A BPD Episode Looks Like - Living With Borderline Personality Disorder. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkXa-grNao4 (Accessed: 7 March 2018).

PsychGo (2017) Borderline Personality Disorder... What is it?. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dt9xJGPQBk (Accessed: 7 March 2018).

World Health Organization (2012) I had a black dog, his name was depression. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc (Accessed: 2 March 2018).

Pictures

Kuro-Kara (2015) Pain and Agony. Available at: https://kuro-kara.deviantart.com/art/Pain-and-Agony-558308780 (Accessed: 2 March 2018).

Shutterstock.com, Family Hugging Sad Stock Photos Images & Amp Pictures. Available at: http://www.pinsdaddy.com/daddy-crying-sad_FQZhRuczoOoGqZiS9HsAL8q8hev%7C1T%7C0UIF0o0VMfRw/4 (Accessed: 5 March 2018).

Daniel Borup, Double Walled Cracked Vase. Available at: http://www.danielborup.com/product/double-walled-cracked-vase-soldunavailable/ (Accessed: 16 March 2018).
Bertelli Matheus (2017) Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/alone-child-children-close-up-573271/ (Accessed: 2 March 2018).

Webpages

NIH, National Institute of Mental Health (2017) Borderline Personality Disorder. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder/index.shtml (Accessed: 8 March 2018).

NHS (2016) Borderline personality disorder. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/ (Accessed: 8 March 2018).

Mind, for better mental health (2018) Borderline personality disorder (BPD). Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/borderline-personality-disorder-bpd/misdiagnosis/#.WpcPsW3FJPZ (Accessed: 5 March 2018).

HELPGUIDE.ORG, Trusted guide to mental and emotional health (2018) Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) A Guide to Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery. Available at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/borderline-personality-disorder.htm#BPD (Accessed: 6 March 2018).

Your Health in Mind, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (2018) Borderline personality disorder. Available at: https://www.yourhealthinmind.org/mental-illnesses-disorders/bpd (Accessed: 6 March 2018).

Good bye,
Eleonora