Treating Personality Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Relational Approach

by Efrain Bleiberg

Book Overview

While personality disorders traditionally have been conceptualized only in adults, it is not uncommon to encounter children and adolescents with the classic diagnostic signs. Youngsters with personality disorders may come across as strikingly arrogant, defiant, and manipulative, yet their demeanor typically masks devastating experiences of vulnerability and pain. This groundbreaking volume offers a framework to make sense of childhood personality...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157230698X
• ISBN13: 9781572306981
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT, WELL THOUGHT OUT BOOK

This book presents an excellent and thought-provoking discussion of a controversial subject. I have been a practicing child psychiatrist for 23 years. As a group, we child psychiatrist are reluctant to diagnose personality disorders in children and adolescents. There are many reasons for this. As we become primarily prescribers of psychotropic medications, which are helpful in many cases. we may have developed a bias toward diagnosing Axis I disorders which frequently do respond to psychotropic medications. This is not the case with personality disorders. i particularly appreciated the authors use of the term "dramatic" personality disorders because these individuals lives are filled with drama, often precipitated by their own behavior and emotional reactions.Like adults with personality disorders, these children do not function well in any environment and always blame others for their distress and dysfunction. As the authorr thoughtfully pointed out, they lack reflective capability. I thought the vignettes were excellent in making the author's point; he chose examples that are familiar to any provider involved in the care of these severely disturbed youth. I have not finished the book yet as I find myself re-reading parts over and over again. Thanks for an excellent reference for those of us on the front line.

Brilliant!

Dr. Bleiberg's writing particularly shines in his use of clinical examples. He is a close listener, perspicacious observer, and gifted in his ability to truly understand the inner experiences of his patients-sometimes before his patients see what he sees. I look forward to his (I hope, forthcoming)second edition that will no doubt include the advances in neuroscience that have contributed to our understanding of reflective functioning.

Well done-a masterpiece

Simply put, this work demands a place on the bookshelf of every compatent practicioner. For many years I have cleaned out libraries and the clinical guides belonging to colleauges and never have I found a book so comprehensive and insightful as Bleibergs. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Bleiberg and i must say that he is as eloquent and knowleadgeable as the book presents him to be. Bleiberg is one of the premier psychiatrists and his rich knowledge of his field is obvious

An inteligent model for treating personality disorder!

I, together with collegues, have been working on a model of understanding severe personality disorder in children and adolescents for almost two decades. We have always planed to write a book on the implications of our ideas for treatment. We never succeeded. We never had the clinical experience to take on the task of the kind of comprehensive treatment model which we envisioned as the only approriate one for this group of seriously handicapped youngsters. Where we fell short, Bleiberg succeeded. This is a truly important contribution. It covers the entire spectrum of treatment strategies from psychopharmacology to psychoanalysis and does so within a single coherent frame of reference that could easily guide clinical interventions for most difficult patients.Bleiberg is a child psychiatrist, psychoanalyst of great seniority. This book reflects exceptionally well on his rich experience as clinician-teacher-researcher. He has provided what is, above all, a practical guide. It is a wise book with hundrends of deep insights into difficult clinical problems and practical suggestions on how to managhe them. It provides a clear understanding of treatment challenges. The book is a must for all practitioners.