Women and Borderline Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Stories [Paperback]

Janet Wirth-Cauchon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000

"A superb, up-to-date feminist analysis of the borderline condition. . . . Characterized by stereotypically feminine qualities, such as poor interpersonal boundaries and an unstable sense of self, borderline diagnosis has been questioned by many as a veiled replacement of the hysteria diagnosis. . . . Wirth-Cauchon includes narratives from women exhibiting the theoretical underpinnings of the borderline diagnosis. . . . The author is rigorous in her analysis, and mainstream academics and diagnosticians should take note lest they create yet another label that disregards the contradictory and conflicting expectations experienced by so many women. Includes an excellent bibliography and a wealth of good reference. Highly recommended."-Choice "This book contributes to a rich, feminist interdisciplinary theoretical understanding of women's psychological distress, and represents an excellent companion volume to Dana Becker's book titled Through the Looking Glass."-Psychology of Women Quarterly "Wonderfully written. . . . [The] argument proceeds with an impeccable and transparent logic, the writing is sophisticated, evocative, even inspired. This work should have enormous appeal."- Kenneth Gergen, author of Realities and Relationships "Impressive in its synthesis of many different ideas . . . both clinicians and people diagnosed with BPD may find much of value in Wirth-Cauchon's thoughtful and provoking analysis."-Metapsychology At the beginning of the twentieth century, "hysteria" as a medical or psychiatric diagnosis was primarily applied to women. In fact, the term itself comes from the Greek, meaning "wandering womb." We have since learned that this diagnosis had evolved from certain assumptions about women's social roles and mental characteristics, and is no longer in use. The modern equivalent of hysteria, however, may be borderline personality disorder, defined as "a pervasive pattern of instability of self-image, interpersonal relationships, and mood, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts." This diagnosis is applied to women so much more often than to men that feminists have begun to raise important questions about the social, cultural, and even the medical assumptions underlying this "illness." Women are said to be "unstable" when they may be trying to reconcile often contradictory and conflicting social expectations. In Women and Borderline Personality Disorder, Janet Wirth-Cauchon presents a feminist cultural analysis of the notions of "unstable" selfhood found in case narratives of women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. This exploration of contemporary post-Freudian psychoanalytic notions of the self as they apply to women's identity conflicts is an important contribution to the literature on social constructions of mental illness in women and feminist critiques of psychiatry in general. Janet Wirth-Cauchon is an associate professor of sociology at Drake University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wonderfully written.... This work should have enormous appeal." - -- Kenneth Gergen, author of Realities and Relationships

From the Back Cover

At the beginning of the twentieth century, "hysteria" as a medical or psychiatric diagnosis was primarily applied to women. In fact, the term itself comes from the Greek, meaning "wandering womb." We have since learned that this diagnosis had evolved from certain assumptions about women's social roles and mental characteristics, and is no long in use. The modern equivalent of hysteria, however, may be borderline personality disorder, defined as "a pervasive pattern of instability of self-image, interpersonal relationships, and mood, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts." This diagnosis is applied to women so much more often that to men that feminists have begun to raise important questions about the social, cultural, and even the medical assumptions underlying this "illness." Women are said to be "unstable" when they may be trying to reconcile often contradictory and conflicting social expectations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813528917
• ISBN-13: 978-0813528915
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,288,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a self-help, "information" book. . ., March 25, 2007

By 

P. Cheatham (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women and Borderline Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Stories (Paperback)

All the previous reviewers hated this book, and while I can see some of their points, I think they approach the book expecting it to be a "how to" guide for the disorder. It is definitely not. The author intends it to be a discussion of how the diagnosis originated and how these presupositions still guide, knowingly and unknowingly, the diagnosis's conceptualization. These are valid issues for acadamics (not nearly as dirty a word as what the first reviewer insinuates) as well as mental health clinicians. The diagnosis is not as definitive or helpful as what people think, and framing it in a more feminist light helps remove some of the pejorative connotations within the field.

26 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars boring, too technical, January 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Women and Borderline Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Stories (Hardcover)

I have read a number of books on depression and Borderline Personality Disorder. This is by far the worst; it was all I could do to finish it. It is very technical, hard to read, and boring, repeating itself repeatedly :) I wouldn't recommend it - there are a lot of better books out there on the subject (like Lost in the Mirror).

12 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An Unfortunate Deliverance of Academe, January 25, 2007

By 

Richard W. Field (Maryville, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women and Borderline Personality Disorder: Symptoms and Stories (Paperback)

The rating is somewhat misleading. This book deserves no stars at all.

This book is one of many unfortunate products of a small portion of the academic community that has isolated itself from an academic world generally dedicated to argument, reason, evidence, and truth. The book displays little evidence for a consideration, let alone a tolerance, for the truth, but in its stead offers a fantasy tale about a horrible illness that grips so many within our society.

As is so tiresomely typical of these sorts of texts, we are fed a weary history of old practices concerning mental illness (yes indeed, there was ignorance back then), with absolute ignorance concerning current research (please folks, get up to date), coupled with loose metaphoric fantasia substituting for any reasoned argument. To offer one example (a prominent one in the book), scattered references to a "flood" or a "torrent" of emotion taken from selected sources in the field is somehow translated into references to the menstrual cycle in women. The "somehow" is impossible to discern. I would not recommend readers to attempt to decipher any logical steps to the conclusion.

It is a sad fact that this comes out of academe. And it is harmful. People who have BPD or who are the loved ones of BPDs need information, not feminist fantasies. For any who wishes information I would recommend "Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified," by Robert Friedel.

For the record, I am an academic in the field of Philosophy, and I have a loved one who is suffering from BPD.