Understanding the Borderline Mother

By Christine Ann Lawson

The first love in our lives is our mother. Recognizing her face, her voice, the meaning of her moods, and her facial expressions is crucial to survival. Dr. Christine Ann Lawson vividly describes how mothers who suffer from borderline personality disorder produce children who may flounder in life even as adults, futilely struggling to reach the safety of a parental harbor, unable to recognize that their borderline parent lacks a pier, or even a discernible shore. Four character profiles describe different symptom clusters that include the waif mother, the hermit mother, the queen mother, and the witch. Children of borderlines are at risk for developing this complex and devastating personality disorder themselves. Dr. Lawson's recommendations for prevention include empathic understanding of the borderline mother and early intervention with her children to ground them in reality and counteract the often dangerous effects of living with a "make-believe" mother. Some readers may recognize their mothers as well as themselves in this book. They will also find specific suggestions for creating healthier relationships. Addressing the adult children of borderlines and the therapists who work with them, Dr. Lawson shows how to care for the waif without rescuing her, to attend to the hermit without feeding her fear, to love the queen without becoming her subject, and to live with the witch without becoming her victim. A Jason Aronson Book

Chapter 1 Make-Believe Mothers Chapter 2 The Darkness Within Chapter 3 The Waif Mother Chapter 4 The Hermit Mother Chapter 5 The Queen Mother Chapter 6 The Witch Mother Chapter 7 Make-Believe Children Chapter 8 Fairy-Tale Fathers Chapter 9 Loving the Waif Without Rescuing Her Chapter 10 Loving the Hermit Without Feeding Her Fear Chapter 11 Loving the Queen Without Becoming Her Subject Chapter 12 Living with the Witch Without Becoming Her Victim Chapter 13 Living Backwards