[dancinglady]

I am always being depressed about being alone. I also watch "Lockedup" and see several inmates that sound a lot like they have borderline traits. Maybe I am not around others with BPD because they may be locked up in jail. Just a thought not trying to offend anyone who may have served time when they did impulsive illegal acts.

[Crazy Hitch]

"Maybe I am not around others with BPD because they may be locked up in jail."

Quite a swooping generalisation ...... me thinks

[Nicky123]

HI, Thankfully, I'm not locked up in jail and have never been. I could well believe that there are many Borderlines in prison but there are millions who are not.

[CopperStar]

I have actually read several BPD materials that theorize that men with BPD are under-recognized and under-diagnosed because many of them wind up in prison instead of in therapy or hospitals.

[Luctor]

Originally Posted by CopperStar

I have actually read several BPD materials that theorize that men with BPD are under-recognized and under-diagnosed because many of them wind up in prison instead of in therapy or hospitals.

You, sir/ma'am are incredibly knowledgeable. I keep coming across your posts and they'er all very accurate and informative. Keep at it!

[CopperStar]

Originally Posted by Luctor

You, sir/ma'am are incredibly knowledgeable. I keep coming across your posts and they'er all very accurate and informative. Keep at it!

I just think awareness is important. Sexist stereotyping always hurts both sexes. In this case it hurts females because our BPD traits are often dismissed condescendingly as 'woman issues'. And it hurts males because early intervention is rare, as they are often just assumed to be 'bad guys' instead of damaged human beings who need help.

[Luctor]

Originally Posted by CopperStar

I just think awareness is important. Sexist stereotyping always hurts both sexes. In this case it hurts females because our BPD traits are often dismissed condescendingly as 'woman issues'. And it hurts males because early intervention is rare, as they are often just assumed to be 'bad guys' instead of damaged human beings who need help.

100% agreed. With men it's also a socialisation thing. BPDs are hyperemotional, experiencing ALL emotions intensely. It's difficult for a man to admit he's controlled by his emotions. We're taught to suppress them. "Cowboys don't cry", and all that. So when they do eventually surface, it's usually as rage. Which ends up getting men incarcerated.

I read somewhere that by one estimation as much as 30% of men in prison might be BPD. Not sure how accurate that is, considering there are other PDs just as likely to cause violence (NPD, ASPD, etc).

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by CopperStar

I just think awareness is important. Sexist stereotyping always hurts both sexes. In this case it hurts females because our BPD traits are often dismissed condescendingly as 'woman issues'. And it hurts males because early intervention is rare, as they are often just assumed to be 'bad guys' instead of damaged human beings who need help.

[Living Dead Guy]

I was incarcerated for several years. I met many people with differing mental health problems but I think I was the only one with BPD. Its hard to tell because social dynamics are vastly different then normal society. You have to appease the guards or suffer hell. You need to not exist around psychopaths. Try to not come off as racist. Fend off men who have not seen a woman in a long time etc.

I think the best way to look at this would be to look at each major characteristic of BPD and determines if it is a norm and why.

Extreme reactions—including panic, depression, rage, or frantic actions—to abandonment, whether real or perceived.
Well who wouldn't panic at the thought of loosing everything in your life, friends job, family, house. Its all gone. Vitamin D deficiency in a max security prison combined with lack of goals (other then to get the hell out) and a lack of healthy social interactions contribute to a great deal of men in prison becoming depressed.

A pattern of intense and stormy relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, often veering from extreme closeness and love (idealization) to extreme dislike or anger (devaluation)
I can point to tons of studies that have shown most felons come from broken lower class homes. Many of these men have familys who don't understand why they did what they did. They have girlfriends or wives that leave them. It is difficult for the families to find the time to visit while most inmates think of little else. Its what gets many from week to week. When they miss a day many rage because they are forced to admit they may not be able to just return to their lives like nothing happened.

Distorted and unstable self-image or sense of self, which can result in sudden changes in feelings, opinions, values, or plans and goals for the future (such as school or career choices)
The only time I saw this is when inmates "find" god.

Impulsive and often dangerous behaviors, such as spending sprees, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, and binge eating.
This is often the types of behavior that led to being convicted so yeah, they continue. Further more there is a tendency for other inmates to encourage such behavior as it dulls their own boredom.

Recurring suicidal behaviors or threats or self-harming behavior, such as cutting.
This I never saw happening outside of myself. Any of this behavior leads to solitary. I got 90 days with nothing but paper cloths and a tiny cell, were the lights were on 24/7 disrupting sleep, all for cutting.

Chronic feelings of emptiness and/or boredom.
Being locked in a tiny room for 22 1/2 hours a day will lead to this.

Inappropriate, intense anger or problems controlling anger.
Most inmates that don't find god tend to spend a lot of time planning vengeance on the people who screwed them. I think the only past time more favored is who they want to sleep with when they get out. I think that displays of anger are only natural when you have 0 control of anything but your emotions. Furthermore I think that anger and intimidation has been a way to gain control in the past. This was personally the most difficult thing for me. I used to puke I was so pissed all the time.

Having stress-related paranoid thoughts or severe dissociative symptoms, such as feeling cut off from oneself, observing oneself from outside the body, or losing touch with reality.
Again being locked away for 22 1/2 hours a day you try to achieve this. I spent months trying to visualize fishing. Trying to recall the smell. The different lures I used. I tried to remember the way that different fish would attack the lure how that felt. If I could be anywhere else even for 5 minutes, I would sure as hell try.

So yes I think many inmates show several of the characteristics of BPD, but, I think the causes are far different.

[Trippin2.0]

I personally could have landed up in jail, on more than one occasion...

Thankfully nobody pressed charges against me.


It has been years since the last impulsive rage "incident" because I don't want my daughter finding out what a terrible person her mother can be, nor do I want her growing up with me incarcerated.


My favorite rage mantra is "I'm way too pretty for jail"



I've watch A LOT of crime doccies which suggest that it isn't all that uncommon for us (male or female) to end up incarcerated.


I just thank God that that wasn't my fate.


Its really sad that so many lack the insight to seek help, and or the support to receive it, before life gets horribly out of hand.