Psychology

Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is still one of the most difficult disorders to treat today. The article "The personality disorder" discusses these difficulties and some of the breakthroughs science is making in diagnosing and treating personality disorders. He writes, "The understanding and treatment of personality disorders has eluded us since the time they were first viewed as a category of mental illness. Most clinicians continue to struggle with the treatment of the borderline patient even today" (Baer, 2002, p. 27). The author also discusses a current book on personality disorders and its validity in the study and treatment of these disorders.

The author is happy with the work on personality disorder that he discusses, and gives several reasons why the research is valid and helpful. He also discusses some of the more recent findings in personality disorders, and recommends the book for students and clinicians alike.

The author's discussion of this book is limited. It would have make the discussion more interesting if the author had included some of the actual research the book included, and the author's credentials for writing the book. The review assesses the book's strong points, and gives good information on personality disorder, but does not point out any weaknesses, which makes it seem a bit biased. In addition, the review does not include the reviewer's qualifications for writing the review, and that would have made the review stronger as well.

It is clear the reviewer understands personality disorder and agrees with the findings of the author of this book. The review is helpful if a student is looking for a definitive text on the issue of personality disorder, but the review does leave out some key points that could have made an even stronger argument for purchasing this book and learning more about personality disorder.

References

Baer, M. (2002). The personality disorder. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, 5(6), 27.