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I would have liked this if it hadn't misrepresented BPD

posted 9 years ago by bluskies87
7 replies | jump to latest

As someone who suffers from Borderline, I personally don't feel that the movie accurately represents the disorder at all. It almost seems like they picked a disorder completely at random without researching it because I don't see how Alice exhibits any of the trademark symptoms, such as an unstable self-image or sense of self, extremely unstable and volatile relationships, especially with family members (people with Borderline usually grew up in unstable homes and had abusive parents or parents who ignored or denied their basic needs), self-destructive and/or suicidal behavior, and an irrational fear of abandonment by those close to her. I suffer from a poor self-image and crippling self-doubt, however, Alice is overly confident and self-absorbed to the point of being narcissistic. If Alice had BPD, her fear of abandonment would have caused her to become severely distressed to the point of panic when her best friend Gina walked away during their fight and stopped talking to her.

I realize that everyone is different and not everyone with BPD will exhibit the same symptoms, but I honestly don't think Alice would be diagnosed with BPD if she were a real person. If anything, I think her personality and her inability to relate to others more closely matches symptoms of Asperger's. Just the fact that Alice says that BPD is the same thing as Manic Depressive Disorder or rapid cycling (not true AT ALL--they are completely different illnesses) makes me believe that the writer/creator of this film really didn't know anything about BPD.

The only reason I bring it up is because BPD is already a very misunderstood and highly stigmatized illness. Many people mistakenly believe that all people with BPD are manipulative and bad people due to stereotypes and misinformation, so those with the disorder already have to worry about being judged in this way. It would have been nice if the movie could have taken the opportunity to try to combat some of these stereotypes instead of portraying Alice as someone who's selfish, self-absorbed and out of touch with reality. The fact that there are many people who have never heard of BPD and will be learning about it for the first time through this film concerns me. That being said, I didn't hate the movie and actually did enjoy it. If they wouldn't have said that Alice had BPD and/or wouldn't have explicitly named an illness, I actually would have really liked it.

[–] aura-nava_23 9 years ago

I completely agree with you 100% and I could not have said it better myself. I have bpd and the main character in this movie is so far off, I actually cringed. It kinda sucks because whoever wrote this could have done actual research, maybe talked to people with bpd to get a true sense of what it's like but instead they kind of made up their own symptoms and are trying to pass it off as bpd thinking that no one will notice

[–] diadara 8 years ago

You are correct. Alice says she'd been diagnosed as being bipolar and then it changed to borderline. Sometimes it takes years to establish a correct diagnosis but clearly she's been ill for some time. Her shrink might be a quack though. I'm bipolar but the only thing I could relate to was the rapid mood swings. I must say I agree with the OP, she obviously has some sort of narcissistic disorder.

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

Alice says she'd been diagnosed as being bipolar and then it changed to borderline.

I think it may have been more beneficial if the script had simply established that Alice is mentally ill, rather than jumping between disorders.🐭

[–] Brody_Dalle 8 years ago

Before she even said she had bpd, I was wondering if she had asperger's. The way she misses social cues, breaks down when things aren't the way she expects or when change occurs, and her above average memory...only thing that was out of place was she didn't seem intelligent or the least bit practical for an adult. I've not studied psych nor do I have either of those, but I agree that it seems more like asperger's than anything to me, but if that were the case, it would make asperger's look bad.

[–] Line-of-Flight 7 years ago

Better than making Asperger's look good.

[–] dissipating 8 years ago

We are just seeing a very short time period of her life, so.. it's hard to say. She is definitely not a "text book" borderline personality. I have BPD and related to her character so, so much...especially the identity issues and lack of sense of self (clearly represented in her talk show host obsession, when she was reciting the lines in the tapes she had recorded, it felt like she was almost practicing how to behave and feel emotions "normally"), dissociation in times of distress (the casino streaking), mood swings (i think that one is obvious), turbulent relationships (w/ her best friend, and her ex husband who turns out to be gay, the guy in the limo... a few others), treatment defiance, narcissism! is a big one in this movie that i was elated to see addressed, she is totally self centered and so determined to replay her life out and looks like she is trying to put the pieces together and in the process forgets about everyone else. impulsivity w/ drugs, sex, money, leaving treatment, DOG SURGERY, moving, many other activities.

It would have been nice if the movie could have taken the opportunity to try to combat some of these stereotypes instead of portraying Alice as someone who's selfish, self-absorbed and out of touch with reality.

What you just described is a perfect example of BPD, though. Maybe other borderlines aren't as aware of it as I am? But we are usually so wrapped up in our own worlds we have a hard time actually recognizing the reality around us. we remember things differently because our brains encode information differently because our emotions are so strong. or because of dissociation. or because our brains are trying to protect us. we are usually very self absorbed, even if we don't realize it. it's a hard thing to come to terms with, i know it was for me. i remember the first time i realized someone was genuinely upset that i had self harmed, i could not comprehend why they would feel that way... it was a very odd experience. it is a disorder for a reason. we don't think or see or feel in a normal way.

[–] laurenalmighty 7 years ago

I 100% agree with you.