To think naming Ann Maguire's killer will lead to more public comprehension of personality disorder?

[Isabeller]

I don't have any gut instinct or empathy for people who act in this way but I find it very puzzling and disturbing.

I think it's important that the majority of us who don't have such a disorder and, I believe, have no instinctive way to understand them become better informed because those affected can be so dangerous.

I would like to think this is a part of the reason the judge decided to release the name of the boy concerned. Lots of identifying information is now being published which is throwing more light on the circumstances surrounding the crime and it seems to me it is in the public interest for there to be the best possible understanding of it.

I feel as if my knowledge is pretty sketchy (perhaps because it makes no sense to me) and if anyone really understands personality disorders I'd be very grateful for your views.

Also AIBU?

I agree with Nocool and Boney - it will further stigmatise and ostracise those with a diagnosis of (one of the) personality disorder.

Those with Borderline Personality for instance are one of the most likely to commit suicide - far more likely than most other mental health illnesses. They are at greater risk to themselves than others - the risk to others comes from labile emotional state.

In my area those with personality disorders are no longer treated by the mental health team - including those with Borderline who are suicidal.

To increase fear that personality disorder sufferers are a risk to the others in such a general, sweeping way, is as bad as saying that certain religions are all terrorists in waiting!

I remember some courtiers at the Palace were hinting that poor Princess Diana had some form of 'personality disorder'. I wonder if it's a blanket term to explain irrational/unusual behaviour? (In other words yet another label) The human personality is very complex, and made up both of genetic factors and damage due to experiences. (nature and nurture) Labelling a person can't describe or address the finer points of their problem. There are probably as many diagnoses/labels as people suffering the problems.
I too have been a teacher all my working life, and for a pupil to commit an act such as this one could only assume he is very very ill in some way. Surely something must have been spotted in his character before the event? I too feel terribly sorry for both families involved, that of the victim and that of the perpetrator. The only word for it is a Tragedy.

I don't think it will raise awareness of personality disorders, I think it will demonise people suffering from them. There are enough misconceptions as it is. Not everyone with a personality disorder is dangerous, this is a very extreme case!

YABVU.

If he'd been diagnosed with autism or bipolar instead, would you be suggesting instead that Ann Maguire's murder would help increase public understanding of the typical behaviours associated with those disorders? I highly doubt it.

Personality disorders are a group of specific mental health disorders as defined by the DSM. They are not an alternative name for someone who behaves like a cunt- despite what MN seems to think.

it will bring about more awareness, yes, but not of the positive kind. I fear if anything it will make PD diagnosis even more stigmatised than it already is.

Personality disorders are a group of specific mental health disorders as defined by the DSM. They are not an alternative name for someone who behaves like a cunt- despite what MN seems to think.

SaucyJ, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I got attacked once on MN and told that the rest of them on the thread were discussing "proper mental illnesses like bipolar and anxiety" and I was not to muddy the waters by bringing non MH things like PDs into the discussion.

I have no idea where this mindset comes from that PD=just cuntish behaviour that people chose to do.

What is not real about a PD? Why do so many people refuse to see PDs as proper mental illnesses? Yet the same people will bend over backwards to learn about depression or other (dare I say more palatable) MH disorders.

The problem is as a few people have said is there is a whole range of completely different personaity diagnoses, Psychopathic PD is not the same for example as Borderline PD. Of course this wont "bring more awareness" - it will just increase the chances of some people thinking all people with PDs are dangerous and likely to kill!

Some one please correct me if I am wrong, but does the DSM even include a diagnosis called "psychopathic personality disorder"? I don't think it does (but am wiling to stand corrected). I thought the official term was anti-social personality disorder. And it stands to reason, for me at least, that while psychopathy could be a trait found in anti-social pd, it isn't a given.