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Notes from Professionals |
Marianne S. Goodman, M.D.
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| Marianne S. Goodman, M.D. is
an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
at The Mount Sinai School of
Medicine. She is involved in
treatment research on borderline
personality disorder, clinical work
and coordinates the medical student
education program for the department
of Psychiatry at the Bronx VA
Medical Center. Her research focuses
on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
treatment for Borderline Personality
Disorder and childhood trauma
antecedents. |
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Recent Publications: Goodman M, Yehuda R: The
relationship between psychological
trauma and borderline personality
disorder. Psychiatric Annals, 32,
(6): 2002, 337-346. |
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| When I was asked by Dr. Perry
Hoffman to facilitate a “break-out”
lunch session at the NEA-BPD Family
Perspectives Conference, I had no
idea that the conference was going
to catalyze and propel me on a new
journey. I was looking forward to
the conference because of my
clinical work and research interests
in the underlying neurobiology of
BPD. When I arrived at the
conference at 10:15 a.m. on the
Saturday morning, I was overwhelmed
by the size of the room and struck
by the attention, concern, and focus
on the faces of the conference
participants. I looked around to try
and find a seat, and managed to find
one open space in the back of the
room. |
| Usually at the scientific
conferences I attend, the back of
the auditorium houses individuals
who want to sleep and escape
attention. But this was not the case
at the NEA-BPD conference. Everyone
was listening intently, taking
notes, absorbed in the words from
consumers and family members
discussing their personal
involvement with the disorder. The
woman next to me was tearful, as was
a young woman in the next row. A
husband leaned over and comforted
his wife as she too was stirred by
what was being spoken. The emotions
and feeling generated in this giant
ballroom were compelling and
emotionally moving. I fished through
my bag looking for tissues to wipe
the tears forming in my eyes,
realizing I had left them in the
diaper bag at home. |
| This disorder causes tremendous
strife not just to those struggling
with the intolerable mood states,
anger, self-hatred, and well
intentioned but harming ways to help
themselves, but to those who
interact with, care for, and are
cared by these individuals. The
effects on mothers, fathers,
siblings, and children are something
I was intellectually aware of, but
not fully appreciative of the depths
and power of these effects. This was
surprising to me as I have a sister
with an autistic child, whose life
has been turned upside down as a
result. She has conducted an
exhaustive search for cures,
treatment programs, and strategies
to help in any little way. I have
watched the process of
transformation in her life and
development of a mission to advocacy
work for her son and others who
suffer with this devastating brain
disorder. Her passion and
determination are inspiring. |
| To be in a ballroom full of
equally passioned and determined
individuals was uplifting and
energizing to me. The union of
families, consumers, clinicians,
researchers, and political advocates
joining in the service of helping
individuals with BPD offers
tremendous promise and hope to a
disease that some believe is “ not
changeable”. |
| In the Breakout Session, my new
journey was initiated. I found that
my ability to discuss, explain, and
educate about the biological basis
of the disorder was extremely valued
and immensely helpful to others, and
that this information was previously
either inaccessible or not
understandable. It was relieving and
destigmitizing for one young woman
to consider that there may be
regions of the brain where faulty
wiring may be potentiating emotional
reactions and that she is not just
being “manipulative”. Here was an
audience hungry for information but
needing help with translating
scientific language and findings.
That science may offer possibilities
of help is promising. |
| My colleague Antonia New and I have
discussed with Perry Hoffman a
mechanism to continue the process of
education and translation of current
scientific information to benefit
consumers and families and have
decided to embark on a written
column titled “ The Journal “on this
borderline personality disorder
website. This column will provide
education on various research
perspectives and current
developments with a focus on the
implications for treatment and on
achieving a better understanding of
the disorder. We welcome comments
and questions from our
readers. Please contact us at
marianne.goodman@med.va.gov and
antonia.new@med.va.gov. |
| We look forward to hearing from you! |
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