I was disturbed when I watched the local evening news tonight

I was watching the local evening news tonight and they were covering the trial of a guy that is on trial for killing his girlfriend. Well they said his lawyer and the prosecuter both agree that he is guilty and that he did it because he has a mental illness. Then they stated his mental illness which is BPD. I am bothered and worry that now people around here will think that all people with BPD are murderers. I know how some of the people around here jump to conclusions rather quickly and worry that them stating his mental illness is going to cause a big uproar. I wish they would have just left well enough alone and not stated what his particular illness was.

Jan

I understand your concern Jbug, I hear some movie killers are said in the movie to have BPD, as well, but I dunno who or what movies. I think society needs to come to some understanding- and we need to help them come to this understanding- that just because a specific mental illness may cause homicidal actions in some individuals, it does not cause these actions in the majority of people with the diagnosis. For instance- schizophrenia is seen in some serial killers. I am not sure if this is accurate, but I venture to guess from the little I've read on serial killers, that it is a LOT more prevalant in them than it is in the general population. HOWEVER, the MAJORITY of people with schizophrenia are as safe as anyone else. There is no good reason to suspect they are all homicidal, and I do not consider people with schizophrenia in general, to be a danger to society.

At the same time, if I had a court case and the murderer was mentally ill, I think it would be important that I know about the illness, as well as how, if in any way, it could have affected their thoughts, feelings, and actions as related to the crime. In the case of a murder of an innocent person (someone who posed no real threat, etc.), it would not cause me to set them free on the streets, but it could affect what I thought should be done with them. For example, it may be that a psychitatric institution with heavy survelliance could be a better option than a jail, for this particular person. Neither is pleasant, but it is necessary, even if the person did not truly realize what they had done or who (an innocent) they had done it to, because we have to protect the safety of others. Also, the person may be a danger to themselves. And perhaps, the institution would be a more appropriate place for them than a jail. Also, some people support the death penalty, and might normally decide to have a murderer executed, but in the cases were mental illness played a major role in the actions or seriously twisted a person's perceptions for example, it is possible they would deem the death penalty to be innapropriate.

So is it important to bring up at trial? You bet. Should we judge the whole population with the diagnosis as being dangerous? Not at all! Do a lot of people judge people as dangerous because of stuff like this? Sadly, yes. The best thing I know to do is to try to educate the general public and let them know, while a specfiic MI may cause violence in one person, it does not mean homicidal tendancies, homicidal delusions, violent acts, etc. are inherent in those with the diagnosis. We need to let them know most of the people with the dx are as safe as the general public. Public education about the mentally ill shown in a positive light, sadly, does not get as much big media air time, as the news on those of us who are violent. I think maybe we should send in mail to such news programs and explain, when they do these pieces on such people, they should include, at least a short note, about how most people with the illness are NOT dangerous, so that people do not jump to hasty conclusions about the lot of us.

Mental illness it would seem is often portrayed in a negitive light. Discriminatory if you ask me. For the most part we're safe & the only problems are for us not the general public. Wish there were some way we could get the media to act honourably but alas its just another way we are powerless.

The ending of the story on the guy that I was speaking about is that he was found guilty of the crime and that he wasn't mentally ill at the time of the murder. Not sure how the jury came up with that but any way. I am glad that the media didn't get hung up on his particular disorder like they have been known to do.

I feel bad for the guy though he was sentenced to death and he wanted to speak to the family but was denied the privilege the judge said it wasn't the appropriate time.

So any way I am just glad that the media just kind of glossed over the fact that he had BPD and didn't make a big deal of it like I feared they were going to do.

Jan

Unfortunately this is made worse by "experts" testifying that BPD could cause the judgment impairment leading to an impulsive homicide.

Remember that the Jury must only decide if the person was aware of there actions and should be held liable for the crime. They are not asked to decide if someone with BPD would be capable of murder. They are not qualified to make that judgment.