Borderlines on Facebook

[st2205]

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Sometimes I get the feeling this website was created specifically with them in mind. On the other side, however, it seems to really bring out the borderline tendencies so much so that I almost expect the new DSM to include criteria of Facebook postings.

As a side note, what would you guess the borderline demographic is among psych residents and do they have more, less, or the same insight as non-psych populations? Also, is it harder, easier, or the same difficulty to end up calling them out as compared to non-psych borderlines?

 

[birchswing]

Sometimes I get the feeling this website was created specifically with them in mind. On the other side, however, it seems to really bring out the borderline tendencies so much so that I almost expect the new DSM to include criteria of Facebook postings.

As a side note, what would you guess the borderline demographic is among psych residents and do they have more, less, or the same insight as non-psych populations? Also, is it harder, easier, or the same difficulty to end up calling them out as compared to non-psych borderlines?

Call them out and make them do what? Pushups? JK, I'm just not sure what it means to call out a person who has borderline personality disorder.

My own experience with Facebook has been that due to the lack of anonymity and that you self-select with whom you interact people are extremely well-behaved. I've only seen people post positive or neutral/boring comments. They share the parts of themselves that reflect what they perceive to be the best of them. I've said for sometime that Facebook reminds me of the high school hallways you would walk in between classes. People are looking at each other, but most of all there is that element of an imaginary audience, and you're conscious of what others are thinking and so you dress a certain way, keep your hair a certain way, etc. It seems to me it's a bit difficult to have interpersonal arguments when everyone you want to like you is watching.

Having said, I have a unique set of a few hundred "friends," I'm sure experiences vary.

 

[SuperSoccer19]

Im one of those borderlines who uses facebook. I just love posting status messages where I threaten to commit suicide just to have friends comment to tell me they love me--sometimes if enough people reply I will go a full day without cutting. Helps me feel less empty, but then I get defriended and the sense of abandonment returns and I break my computer. I wish changing my relationship status required less buttons--I use this a lot whenever I get engaged, married, or am single again.

Just kidding, but there are a few articles in that are interesting reads about facebook. A few studies were done on trying to diagnose MDD using DSM-IV criteria in status updates over 2 week intervals at a college university--mostly just data gathering and limited conclusions if any, but an interesting idea. Also a few on over vs under reporting of unsafe practices, etc. Search pubmed sometime.