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Mental Health Week in Review July 12-18

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This week in Mental Health we looked at a range of issues including what happens to a mother when she is found by authorities to be suffering from Munchausen disorder by proxy and she has deliberately harmed her child. In Munchausen Mum Escapes Jail Term, we focused on the legal rather than the psychological ramifications of this disorder. We also looked at Dependent Personality Disorder and the effects that this condition has on its sufferers, including a desperate need for reassurance from others, marked difficulty in expressing disagreement with others due to a fear of being abandoned, extreme lack of … Continue reading →

Dependent Personality Disorder: Difficulties in Relationships

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Apart from the pain and anxiety that a sufferer of Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD) suffers on a daily basis, there are also considerable interpersonal problems that accompany this disorder. For family and friends, there is a constant need for reassurance and approval required that can lead to frustration and even rejection of the sufferer. Rejection by others is greatly feared by sufferers; ironically it is their need for support and constant reassurance that either causes arguments or actually drives people away. Both are fearful results for the sufferer. The constant changing of the mind and continual requests for advice are … Continue reading →

Dependent Personality Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria

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As described in earlier articles on this condition, individuals displaying signs of Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)often agree with others to their face due to a profound fear of estrangement and abandonment. Fear of rejection rules their lives and anxiety and panic attacks are common features due to the constant stress of trying to please and appease everyone in their life. Behaviors such as wanting to be liked by others and being wary of stating one’s own opinion for fear of social rejection are common among general society when looked at in isolation. However, to be given a clinical diagnosis of … Continue reading →

What is Dependent Personality Disorder? (2)

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Not being able to make up your own mind and needing others to help you to make even the most basic of decisions is one characteristic of Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). Another is being unable to state your wants, needs and opinions because of an unrealistic fear of rejection. In our last article (see link below) we looked at the stories of Lori and Jennifer, who displayed several of the characteristic traits of this disorder. Lori found it hard to trust herself and constantly drew others into decision-making for her, even to the point of allowing other to choose her … Continue reading →

What is Dependent Personality Disorder? (1)

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We are all dependent on each other to a certain extent to survive. We need contact with other like souls for our mental health, and when we are ill we often need a helping hand to get us back on our feet. But what about a person who is constantly reliant on opinions, advice and help from others simply to get through the day? Lori suffers from anxiety and occasional panic attacks, but the root cause of these problems is her excessive need for approval, and her submissive and clinging behavior. The latter is driven by her fear of separation … Continue reading →

Gender Differences in Mental Health

For some time it has been known that women suffer more from depression than men do, or at the very least are more likely to be diagnosed with it. It is likely that there are a variety of contributing factors to this, not the least of which is the difference in how men and women express themselves. A new study tackles the question of which diagnoses seem to impact men versus women, and why. The study came out of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida and appears in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. It discusses how … Continue reading →

The Aging Narcissist: What Happened to Elinor?

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Some time ago I wrote an article of what life was like for Elinor, the middle aged daughter of an elderly narcissistic mother. This article has spawned countless comments and private correspondences, as well as an introductory to therapy for many people. The story has never been concluded formally but I have had many requests for what happened to Elinor. How did she fair with her mother who had berated her as a child and made increasing demands on her as an adult? Well, Elinor went into counseling and slowly learned the mechanics of how a narcissist thinks and operates. … Continue reading →