Does having the BPD make one unfit to be a physician?
QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I lived 2 years with a person who suffers from BPD. I read Randi Kreger’s book “Stop Walking on Eggshells.” I can exactly confirm the experiences described in this book. I am a medical doctor and I have 10 years experience in my profession. As a physician, I am familiar with the description of the Inner World of the borderline individual.
After 2 years of living with a woman who has traits associated with BPD I must agree that it is a horrible feeling to realize I am the victim of someone who needs me to exist in the human society. I am feeling like a victim who was mentally abused by her.
At the beginning of our relationship I thought it was temporary, but now I have not seen any positive changes in spite of her 1-year psychotherapy. She is not able to accept the diagnosis of BPD.
She is going to become a medical doctor. Is it ethical to accept it? Can she take the responsibility for the patients as a doctor? She fulfills all the criteria of behavior that indicate BPD. I saw her out of control in the emergency room. It is not my revenge on her, but I think as a doctor I have to act and prevent the future disaster in support of the humans who are getting medical care from someone with BPD. Please send me your opinion.
ANSWER:
Many individuals with psychiatric problems gravitate to the health care professions. I’ve taken care of hundreds of borderlines who fit this category, although only a handful were physicians. One temporarily lost his license due to substance abuse.
If the diagnosis is accurate, stress intolerance will likely show up and cause problems. Of course it would help her enormously to understand the diagnosis and what she can do to succeed in every area of life – including relationships and being a physician. If her faculty members do not see a reason to withhold her degree, then it will up to her to find a way to cope, get treated, or choose a specialty more suited to her neurology – such as pathology. The BPD diagnosis does not exclude someone from being a physician. That she made it this far is a huge positive sign for her intelligence, creativity and perseverence.
As with everyone else, all the diagnoses need to be made and effectively treated. I’ve seen many individuals do phenomenally well when comprehensively treated medically.
I’d recommend the same to you regarding evaluating diagnoses – particularly why you would put up with abuse for a long time. The book “Are You the One for Me?” by Barbara DeAngelis may be particularly useful to you. I strongly recommend you listen to Zig Ziglar’s “How to Stay Motivated” series and learn these things for yourself. Not only will this reduce your future pain, but you will become a better physician as well.
