Why are so many celebrities labeled as “crazy,” “unstable,” or “too emotional”, and how often is that linked to Borderline Personality Disorder*?

We’re not here to gossip or diagnose, but we explore how public figures have either disclosed or been linked to BPD, and what that means for public awareness and stigma.

From the courtroom controversy of Amber Heard to the tragic loss of Amy Winehouse, we talk about how media portrayal shapes how the world sees (and misunderstands) BPD, and why representation, especially honest, messy, human stories, matters so much.

🌱 Have questions, stories, or something you’d like us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

🎧 Looking for guided meditations made for emotional regulation, BPD, and more? Check out our YouTube channel Empowered Heroes for free meditations created with love and care:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Empoweredheroes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify at Empowered Heroes Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠.

📩 For support on your BPD recovery journey with DBT-based skills and Mindfulness practices, email me for a free 30-Minute Consultation: ⁠[email protected]⁠ or check out the website: www.bpdsupport.org

*If you or someone you care about is struggling with BPD, know that you’re not alone. Support is out there, and healing is possible.

Recommended books on BPD:

I Hate You - Don’t Leave Me  by Hal Straus and Jerold J. Kreisman

The Way She Feels by Courtney Cook

This Is Not the End: Conversations on Borderline Personality Disorder Tabetha Martin (Editor)

Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder by Jerold J. Kreisman and Hal Straus

📚 Referenced Research Includes:

Arendt, F., & Northup, T. (2015). Effects of Long-Term Exposure to News Stereotypes on Implicit and Explicit Attitudes. In International Journal of Communication (Vol. 9). http://ijoc.org.

Aviram, R. B., Brodsky, B. S., & Stanley, B. (2006). Borderline personality disorder, stigma, and treatment implications. Harvard review of psychiatry, 14(5), 249-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/10673220600975121 

Blascovich, J., Mendes, W. B., Hunter, S. B., Lickel, B., & Kowai-Bell, N. (2001). Perceiver threat in social interactions with stigmatized others. Journal of personality and social psychology, 80(2), 253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.2.253

 Corrigan, P. W. (2000). Mental health stigma as social attribution: Implications for research methods and attitude change. Clinical psychology: science and practice, 7(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.7.1.48

Corrigan, P. W., & Penn, D. L. (1999). Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma. American psychologist, 54(9), 765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.9.765

Corrigan, P. W., River, L. P., Lundin, R. K., Penn, D. L., Uphoff-Wasowski, K., Campion, J.,.. & Kubiak, M. A. (2001). Three strategies for changing attributions about severe mental illness. Schizophrenia bulletin, 27(2), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a006865

Couture, S., & Penn, D. (2003). Interpersonal contact and the stigma of mental illness: A review of the literature. Journal of mental health, 12(3), 291-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638231000118276

Knoll, J., & Matthes, J. (2017). The effectiveness of celebrity endorsements: a meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(1), 55–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0503-8

Marshall, P. D. (2015). Celebrity and Public Persona. In Communication. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0159

Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2008). How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice?

Watson, A. C., Otey, E., Westbrook, A. L., Gardner, A. L., Lamb, T. A., Corrigan, P. W., & Fenton, W. S. (2004). Changing middle schoolers' attitudes about mental illness through education. Schizophrenia bulletin, 30(3), 563-572. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a007100