COMMENTARY | According to the Huffington Post, Brandon Marshall, a receiver for the Miami Dolphins, admitted in a press conference Sunday that he has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Marshall underwent three months of intensive therapy and psychological exams at Boston's McLean Hospital, and admitted at the press conference that he would like to become the face for borderline personality disorder.
Marshall's move is commendable because borderline personality disorder is gaining more attention in the world of psychology, with an estimated 2 percent of the general population suffering from borderline personality disorder. Considering the intrusive and potentially damaging nature of borderline personality disorder, it is highly likely that Marshall's football career and interpersonal relationships will suffer.
Borderline personality disorder is a disabling disorder that is characterized by intense mood swings; instability in relationships; impulsiveness in spending money; promiscuity; reckless driving; and, in some instances, shoplifting. Oftentimes, a person who suffers from borderline personality disorder will exhibit extreme mood swings that alternate between intense anger and rage to depression and sadness. Borderline personality disorder stems from a fear of abandonment; whether a threat of abandonment actually exists or is just imagined, the sufferer will go to great extremes to prevent and cope with the feelings that accompany the real or imagined abandonment.
Earlier this year, Marshall suffered from stab wounds as a result of a domestic dispute with his wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall, which is a typical outcome of a domestic fight when a person who suffers from the disorder is involved. Usually it will be the person who has borderline personality disorder who harms himself.
I have a dear friend who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and when she gets into an argument with her husband, she will threaten to kill herself, and will actually cut herself with a knife or glass from something she has broken. Suicidal gestures are a hallmark of borderline personality disorder.
While Marshall could learn to overcome and cope with the behaviors that arise from borderline personality disorder, he will never be fully cured because, as of now, there exists no cure. With therapy, patience, and possibly medication, Marshall could cope with his condition and lead a perfectly normal life. This will prove difficult, however, because borderline personality disorder is extremely intrusive and difficult to regulate. The impulsiveness that is characteristic of the disorder makes it nearly impossible to control, so it is likely that Marshall's football career will be affected, if not directly, as a result of the stormy personal relationships that almost always accompany the disease.
Nonetheless, I commend Marshall for his brave stance with borderline personality disorder and I wish him much happiness and success in the future.
Sources:
health.yahoo.net psychcentral.com
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