Sample Solution

Jodie’s desire to binge and purge food is also connected to not completing the oral stage and can possibly be attributed to experiencing trauma in her childhood. Freud stated, “every neurosis in an adult is built upon a neurosis which has occurred in childhood but has not invariably been severe enough to strike the eye and be recognized as such” (Wollheim, 1971, p 158). By talking with Jodie about her childhood, and possibly being able to talk to other family members, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn Jodie was abused which further solidifies a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

BIOLOGICAL TRAITS

From a biological standpoint, how much of Jodie’s personality was formed from defective genes and how much is due to her environment? If she was indeed abused in her childhood, did she exhibit any of the symptoms of BPD before the abuse took place or if there was no abuse, were these traits inherited? From severe mood swings and intense anger to a distorted self-image and extreme impulsiveness, Jodie faces myriad issues that keep her from functioning properly in her everyday life.

Several studies have revealed that “impulsive aggression tends to run in families of people diagnosed with BPD which suggests a genetic origin for this behavioral tendency” (Coccaro & Siever, 2005). Neurological studies of brain chemistry have identified abnormalities in people with BPD and have also documented “problematic functioning of their pre-frontal cortex” (Coccaro & Siever, 2005). This suggests that Jodie is not acting on a whim but that the influence of biology on her behavior is to blame. That said, her traits have most likely evolved over time to further meet her biological goals (i.e. survival, nourishment, reproduction, e