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When first researching bpd, i read that 4% of population has it, which seemed

unbelievable. That would mean 4 out of every 100 people. Then I read that 4% are

bipolar so that makes 8 out of 100 w/ serious mental illness. I guess stats

don't lie but it is hard to grasp.

Have read that 75% of bpd are female but also said that males aren't as likely

to be diagnosed/etc.

I think I got these figures from swoe?

Twyla resultsmayvary6@...> wrote:

>Annie,

>

>

>

>Do you know the percentage of BPD suffers in the U.S? or world-wide?

>

>

>

>I am assuming it affects females more so? If this is true does anyone know

>why?

>

>

>

>

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According to both the NIMH and the organization NAMI, " BPD is estimated to

affect between 1% and 2% of Americans. More females are diagnosed with bpd than

males by a ratio of about 3 to 1, though some clinicians suspect that males are

under diagnosed. "

But as Randi Kreger has pointed out, statistics are based on those who are

actually formally diagnosed with bpd and are in treatment; they are " in the

system " and therefor known and counted.

Additional complicating factors: NAMI reports that borderline pd is often

misdiagnosed, and NIMH reports that bpd often co-occurs with other mental

illnesses.

So I personally feel that the statistics are probably wildly inaccurate; they

can't count those who never go in for treatment or who get misdiagnosed. The

high-functioning ones like my nada was (for most of her life) who rarely if ever

seek treatment for themselves don't get counted in official statistics.

Here is the link to a page about bpd stats, with footnotes/sources and links to

further reading:

http://bpd.about.com/od/understandingbpd/p/BPDStats.htm

-Annie

>

> Annie,

>

>

>

> Do you know the percentage of BPD suffers in the U.S? or world-wide?

>

>

>

> I am assuming it affects females more so? If this is true does anyone know

> why?

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Sat, Dec 1, 2012 at 7:51 PM, Nightsquirrel

thenightsquirrel@...>wrote:

> **

>

>

> Have read that 75% of bpd are female but also said that males aren't as

> likely to be diagnosed/etc.

>

There's a large argument about the gender bias seen in BPD diagnoses. The

best analysis I've seen suggests that the actual prevalence is about

equally male and female, but the way that the disorder shows up -- and most

importantly the societal reaction to it -- is very different due to gender

roles and expectations.

In a series of lectures I listened to on abnormal psychology presented by a

psychologist who'd worked for years in the Pennsylvania prison system, the

lecturer indicated that he met a large number of men in prison that were,

as far as he could tell, completely BPD, but had not been diagnosed as

such. Many of these men were in for assault or for wife battery, a few for

homicide.

Think about it. What in women is a terrifying emotional outburst quickly

becomes a dangerous crime when it happens in a man who has been socialized

to believe that it's acceptable to strike out -- HARD -- when you are

enraged. A BPD woman who flips out at her boyfriend in a bar and starts

screaming at and slapping him will probably get hustled into a cab and sent

home by the bouncer, but a man who flips out at his girlfriend and starts

punching her in the face is going to jail (we can hope!) Similarly, women

who are beaten by BPD male partners are likely to report it; men who are

hit by BPD partners are NOT likely to report it, as it's embarrassing as

hell to admit that your woman beat you up. Plus, of course, most women

have less mass, less muscle, and less familiarity with physical attacks, so

when they do get violent, they do less damage.

The upshot of this is, it may well be the case that BPD men go to jail,

while BPD women are allowed to roam free and inflict damage, many on their

helpless kids. Every time I hear of a horrific case of child abuse by a

woman, I think " Wow, I wonder if she's BPD. " Take this recent horrific

case:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/1013/Mother-gets-99-years-for-beating-\

gluing-daughter-Has-the-US-had-it-with-bad-parents

This woman has all the signs of BPD. If she had been a man, she might have

been Josh , who murdered his wife and his two boys. Instead, the

little girl survived the attack. I don't think the girl would have

survived if her father had beaten her this badly. It wouldn't surprise me

in the slightest if all of those men who shoot their wives and kids and

then kill themselves are BPDs who, not satisfied with just killing

themselves, insist on killing everyone they claim to love as well.

And then there's a rage disorder that's diagnosed almost exclusively in men

called " Intermittent Explosive Disorder " -- I wouldn't be surprised if

that's how BPD presents in men, too.

Part of the problem may also be that classic low-functioning BPD is usually

diagnosed on the basis of emotional instability (easier to spot in women as

they are " allowed " to express emotions, whereas men are not), unstable

relationships (men with multiple broken relationships might be consider

" players " ), and self-harm (boys do this, but they don't admit it as easily,

and since they usually don't wear revealing clothes it's a lot easier to

hide the scars.)

Anyway, I would be very interested in seeing someone do a study to

determine if emotional instability is being judged and diagnosed similarly

in male and female populations, as I strongly suspect that it really isn't,

and we won't be able to see if there's any real gender bias until we have

better measurement tools.

-- Jen H.

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Thank you Annie.

From: WTOAdultChildren1

[mailto:WTOAdultChildren1 ] On Behalf Of anuria67854

Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2012 06:00 PM

To: WTOAdultChildren1

Subject: Re: % of BPD in USA

According to both the NIMH and the organization NAMI, " BPD is estimated to

affect between 1% and 2% of Americans. More females are diagnosed with bpd

than males by a ratio of about 3 to 1, though some clinicians suspect that

males are under diagnosed. "

But as Randi Kreger has pointed out, statistics are based on those who are

actually formally diagnosed with bpd and are in treatment; they are " in the

system " and therefor known and counted.

Additional complicating factors: NAMI reports that borderline pd is often

misdiagnosed, and NIMH reports that bpd often co-occurs with other mental

illnesses.

So I personally feel that the statistics are probably wildly inaccurate;

they can't count those who never go in for treatment or who get

misdiagnosed. The high-functioning ones like my nada was (for most of her

life) who rarely if ever seek treatment for themselves don't get counted in

official statistics.

Here is the link to a page about bpd stats, with footnotes/sources and links

to further reading:

http://bpd.about.com/od/understandingbpd/p/BPDStats.htm

-Annie

>

> Annie,

>

>

>

> Do you know the percentage of BPD suffers in the U.S? or world-wide?

>

>

>

> I am assuming it affects females more so? If this is true does anyone know

> why?

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is powerful information.

Thanks .

From: WTOAdultChildren1

[mailto:WTOAdultChildren1 ] On Behalf Of Hawthorne

Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2012 06:10 PM

To: WTOAdultChildren1

Subject: Re: % of BPD in USA

On Sat, Dec 1, 2012 at 7:51 PM, Nightsquirrel

thenightsquirrel@...

>wrote:

> **

>

>

> Have read that 75% of bpd are female but also said that males aren't as

> likely to be diagnosed/etc.

>

There's a large argument about the gender bias seen in BPD diagnoses. The

best analysis I've seen suggests that the actual prevalence is about

equally male and female, but the way that the disorder shows up -- and most

importantly the societal reaction to it -- is very different due to gender

roles and expectations.

In a series of lectures I listened to on abnormal psychology presented by a

psychologist who'd worked for years in the Pennsylvania prison system, the

lecturer indicated that he met a large number of men in prison that were,

as far as he could tell, completely BPD, but had not been diagnosed as

such. Many of these men were in for assault or for wife battery, a few for

homicide.

Think about it. What in women is a terrifying emotional outburst quickly

becomes a dangerous crime when it happens in a man who has been socialized

to believe that it's acceptable to strike out -- HARD -- when you are

enraged. A BPD woman who flips out at her boyfriend in a bar and starts

screaming at and slapping him will probably get hustled into a cab and sent

home by the bouncer, but a man who flips out at his girlfriend and starts

punching her in the face is going to jail (we can hope!) Similarly, women

who are beaten by BPD male partners are likely to report it; men who are

hit by BPD partners are NOT likely to report it, as it's embarrassing as

hell to admit that your woman beat you up. Plus, of course, most women

have less mass, less muscle, and less familiarity with physical attacks, so

when they do get violent, they do less damage.

The upshot of this is, it may well be the case that BPD men go to jail,

while BPD women are allowed to roam free and inflict damage, many on their

helpless kids. Every time I hear of a horrific case of child abuse by a

woman, I think " Wow, I wonder if she's BPD. " Take this recent horrific

case:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/1013/Mother-gets-99-years-for-beat

ing-gluing-daughter-Has-the-US-had-it-with-bad-parents

This woman has all the signs of BPD. If she had been a man, she might have

been Josh , who murdered his wife and his two boys. Instead, the

little girl survived the attack. I don't think the girl would have

survived if her father had beaten her this badly. It wouldn't surprise me

in the slightest if all of those men who shoot their wives and kids and

then kill themselves are BPDs who, not satisfied with just killing

themselves, insist on killing everyone they claim to love as well.

And then there's a rage disorder that's diagnosed almost exclusively in men

called " Intermittent Explosive Disorder " -- I wouldn't be surprised if

that's how BPD presents in men, too.

Part of the problem may also be that classic low-functioning BPD is usually

diagnosed on the basis of emotional instability (easier to spot in women as

they are " allowed " to express emotions, whereas men are not), unstable

relationships (men with multiple broken relationships might be consider

" players " ), and self-harm (boys do this, but they don't admit it as easily,

and since they usually don't wear revealing clothes it's a lot easier to

hide the scars.)

Anyway, I would be very interested in seeing someone do a study to

determine if emotional instability is being judged and diagnosed similarly

in male and female populations, as I strongly suspect that it really isn't,

and we won't be able to see if there's any real gender bias until we have

better measurement tools.

-- Jen H.

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Share on other sites

Due to the gender bias mentioned earlier in one of the posts, most men are

diagnosed with NPD while women are diagnosed with BPD. Proposed changes for the

DSM V (Diagnosis Manual) is that NPD, HPD will be eliminated as their own

diagnosis and collapsed into BPD.

Personality disorders are probably under diagnoses as the person wold have to

see the therapist, most people with personality disorders do not think they have

a problem and their is a stigma within the mental health community in giving

someone this diagnosis.

Most teenage boys and girls respond differently to trauma which could account

for the different diagnoses giving. It is thought that one cause of BPD is

traumatic experiences in childhood so where most boys externalize their

behavior, girls internalize. As they develop in to adults it is not until the

girls begin externalizing that someone feels their is a problem.

It will be interesting to see how the changes in the DSM effect the number of

people beng diagnosed with BPD.

>

> > **

> >

> >

> > Have read that 75% of bpd are female but also said that males aren't as

> > likely to be diagnosed/etc.

> >

>

> There's a large argument about the gender bias seen in BPD diagnoses. The

> best analysis I've seen suggests that the actual prevalence is about

> equally male and female, but the way that the disorder shows up -- and most

> importantly the societal reaction to it -- is very different due to gender

> roles and expectations.

>

> In a series of lectures I listened to on abnormal psychology presented by a

> psychologist who'd worked for years in the Pennsylvania prison system, the

> lecturer indicated that he met a large number of men in prison that were,

> as far as he could tell, completely BPD, but had not been diagnosed as

> such. Many of these men were in for assault or for wife battery, a few for

> homicide.

>

> Think about it. What in women is a terrifying emotional outburst quickly

> becomes a dangerous crime when it happens in a man who has been socialized

> to believe that it's acceptable to strike out -- HARD -- when you are

> enraged. A BPD woman who flips out at her boyfriend in a bar and starts

> screaming at and slapping him will probably get hustled into a cab and sent

> home by the bouncer, but a man who flips out at his girlfriend and starts

> punching her in the face is going to jail (we can hope!) Similarly, women

> who are beaten by BPD male partners are likely to report it; men who are

> hit by BPD partners are NOT likely to report it, as it's embarrassing as

> hell to admit that your woman beat you up. Plus, of course, most women

> have less mass, less muscle, and less familiarity with physical attacks, so

> when they do get violent, they do less damage.

>

> The upshot of this is, it may well be the case that BPD men go to jail,

> while BPD women are allowed to roam free and inflict damage, many on their

> helpless kids. Every time I hear of a horrific case of child abuse by a

> woman, I think " Wow, I wonder if she's BPD. " Take this recent horrific

> case:

>

> http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/1013/Mother-gets-99-years-for-beat

> ing-gluing-daughter-Has-the-US-had-it-with-bad-parents

>

> This woman has all the signs of BPD. If she had been a man, she might have

> been Josh , who murdered his wife and his two boys. Instead, the

> little girl survived the attack. I don't think the girl would have

> survived if her father had beaten her this badly. It wouldn't surprise me

> in the slightest if all of those men who shoot their wives and kids and

> then kill themselves are BPDs who, not satisfied with just killing

> themselves, insist on killing everyone they claim to love as well.

>

> And then there's a rage disorder that's diagnosed almost exclusively in men

> called " Intermittent Explosive Disorder " -- I wouldn't be surprised if

> that's how BPD presents in men, too.

>

> Part of the problem may also be that classic low-functioning BPD is usually

> diagnosed on the basis of emotional instability (easier to spot in women as

> they are " allowed " to express emotions, whereas men are not), unstable

> relationships (men with multiple broken relationships might be consider

> " players " ), and self-harm (boys do this, but they don't admit it as easily,

> and since they usually don't wear revealing clothes it's a lot easier to

> hide the scars.)

>

> Anyway, I would be very interested in seeing someone do a study to

> determine if emotional instability is being judged and diagnosed similarly

> in male and female populations, as I strongly suspect that it really isn't,

> and we won't be able to see if there's any real gender bias until we have

> better measurement tools.

>

> -- Jen H.

>

>

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