Tanvi Bansal Today, we live in a society that is plagued by the obsession with food. On one hand, there are self-proclaimed gourmets who enjoy eating exotic meals and aesthetic desserts. Whereas, on the other side are those fitness freaks with extreme consciousness for body images, living by nuts, berries and leaves. In this regard, most of us are aware of the direct correlation between the food we eat and the body structures we have. However, we fail to recognize the interaction between the eating patterns and personality of an individual. Therefore, this paper deals with discussing the co-occurrence of Borderline Personality Disorder and Eating Disorders.  To begin with, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the instability in interpersonal relationships and problems with a sense of self-image (2004). Individuals with this disorder are very conscious about themselves; they undergo repeated suicidal thoughts along with a tendency to cause self-harm. Whereas, while under...

Ishita Ahuja It is often difficult for the media to accurately portray what it is like to live with a mental health disorder and they often stereotype people as being “dangerous” and “frightening”. But recently there have been various television shows and movies that have humanized mental health disorders and tried their best to portray these in a realistic manner. Amazon Prime’s new series “Modern Love” is amongst the TV shows that have successfully portrayed mental health disorders. The show is based on real stories published in a column in The New York Times by the same name. The third episode of this show called ‘Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am’ follows the story of Lexi, played by Anne Hathaway as she takes the viewers through her struggle with bipolar disorder. In the episode, adapted from the life of Terri Cheney, Anne Hathaway portrays a woman battling the symptoms of bipolar disorder in her personal as well as professional life. Bipolar disorder is a mental health conditi...

Ishita Ahuja Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) refers to a type of psychotherapy focused on alleviating psychological symptoms by causing changes in the underlying cognition and behaviour of a person. CBT focuses on changing unpleasant and distorted patterns of thoughts and behaviours by attempting to improve emotional regulation as well as developing personal coping strategies. The main premise underlying CBT is that an individual’s thoughts, behaviours, and emotions interact together to contribute to various mental disorders. Focusing on the present rather than causes from the past, CBT uses behavioural goals to improve a person’s condition. The goal of this therapy is to convert an individual’s maladaptive thoughts into adaptive thoughts -- cognitive restructuring. The aim of CBT is not only to target maladaptive thoughts but also to improve maladaptive behaviour patterns. Engaging in maladaptive behaviour reinforces the validity of the maladaptive thoughts th...