How can I help my friend with APD?
QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I know this isnt a site for APD but I hope you might know something. I think my friend has APD. He won’t go to a professional. He shows many of the symptoms and I want to know how I can help him. He says he has voices and sometimes he wants to kill people if they look at him wrong. I’m really worried that one day he might actually act upon these feelings.
Please– How can I help him?
ANSWER:
You described something different from the APD (antisocial personality disorder). Paranoid schizophrenia is a possibility, as is the BPD with chronic dysphoria (anxiety, rage, depression and despair). While its possible the APD is also present, hallucinations and worrying about homicidal instincts generally describe something else. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that you cant make anyone get help if they refuse it. If the BPD appears to be a possibility, I often recommend showing the cover of my first book Life at the Border This has been of great help to many people.
