Personality Disorders and the BKWSU

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ex-l

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Personality Disorders and the BKWSU

Post06 Feb 2010

A road map to discussing mental health within the Brahma Kumari movement, from Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, Second Edition by Ronald J. Comer, Worth Publishers, Inc. 1999.

Bear in mind that when Lekhraj Kirpalani started his religion, he basically had no education, certainly no psychological or psychiatric training, not even a religion training, was not part of any establish religious order, had no peers and accepted no superiors to confide in or seek guidance from and, for the first 14 or 18 years, thought he was God before. (Depending in whether you start his religion in 1932 when he retired or 1936/7 as the BKWSU claims).

NB: It was only some time after 1950 that he and the BKs somehow re-invented their religion to introduce a second spirit they called Shiva. There was no Shiva mentioned in the BKWSU before then. The BKWSU's public history has been falsified and institutionally covered up for decades.

Bear in mind that the current leaders also have basically no education, certainly no psychological or psychiatric training and not even a religion training ... except from Lekhraj Kirpalani's stream of consciousness monologues or the spiritualistic messages they believe is "God" and the deceased Lekhraj Kirpalani speaking exclusively to humanity.

And, remember, according to the Brahma Kumaris in our experience, if someone suffers from mental illness; a) it is their own fault (karma), b) it can be cured by doing 'more' BK Raja Yoga, and c) if it cannot be cured ... then they should be sent back to their physical family for the family or state to look after them because the BKWSU does not do social work or charity.
Personality Disorders

Paranoid

    Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a distrust of others and a constant suspicion that people around you have sinister motives. People with this disorder tend to have excessive trust in their own knowledge and abilities and usually avoid close relationships with others. They search for hidden meanings in everything and read hostile intentions into the actions of others. They are quick to challenge the loyalties of friends and loved ones and often appear cold and distant to others. They usually shift blame to others and tend to carry long grudges.
Schizoid

    People with schizoid personality disorder avoid relationships and do not show much emotion. They genuinely prefer to be alone and do not secretly wish for popularity. They tend to seek jobs that require little social contact. Their social skills are often weak and they do not show a need for attention or acceptance. They are perceived as humorless and distant and often are termed "loners."
Schizotypal

    Many believe that schizotypal personality disorder represents mild schizophrenia. The disorder is characterized by odd forms of thinking and perceiving, and individuals with this disorder often seek isolation from others. They sometimes believe to have extra sensory ability or that unrelated events relate to them in some important way. They generally engage in eccentric behavior and have difficulty concentrating for long periods of time. Their speech is often over elaborate and difficult to follow.
Antisocial

    A common misconception is that antisocial personality disorder refers to people who have poor social skills. The opposite is often the case. Instead, antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of conscience. People with this disorder are prone to criminal behavior, believing that their victims are weak and deserving of being taken advantage of. They tend to lie and steal. Often, they are careless with money and take action without thinking about consequences. They are often aggressive and are much more concerned with their own needs than the needs of others.
Borderline

    Borderline personality disorder is characterized by mood instability and poor self-image. People with this disorder are prone to constant mood swings and bouts of anger. Often, they will take their anger out on themselves, causing themselves injury. Suicidal threats and actions are not uncommon. They think in very black and white terms and often form intense, conflict-ridden relationships. They are quick to anger when their expectations are not met.
Histrionic

    People with histrionic personality disorder are constant attention seekers. They need to be the centre of attention all the time, often interrupting others in order to dominate the conversation. They use grandiose language to describe everyday events and seek constant praise. They may dress provocatively or exaggerate illnesses in order to gain attention. They also tend to exaggerate friendships and relationships, believing that everyone loves them. They are often manipulative.

Narcissistic

    Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by self-centeredness. Like histrionic disorder, people with this disorder seek attention and praise. They exaggerate their achievements, expecting others to recognize them as being superior. They tend to be choosy about picking friends, since they believe that not just anyone is worthy of being their friend. They tend to make good first impressions, yet have difficulty maintaining long-lasting relationships. They are generally uninterested in the feelings of others and may take advantage of them.

Avoidant

    Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by extreme social anxiety. People with this disorder often feel inadequate, avoid social situations, and seek out jobs with little contact with others. They are fearful of being rejected and worry about embarrassing themselves in front of others. They exaggerate the potential difficulties of new situations to rationalize avoiding them. Often, they will create fantasy worlds to substitute for the real one. Unlike schizoid personality disorder, avoidant people yearn for social relations yet feel they are unable to obtain them. They are frequently depressed and have low self-confidence.
Dependent

    Dependent personality disorder is characterized by a need to be taken care of. People with this disorder tend to cling to people and fear losing them. They may become suicidal when a break-up is imminent. They tend to let others make important decisions for them and often jump from relationship to relationship. They often remain in abusive relationships. They are overly sensitive to disapproval. They often feel helpless and depressed.
Obsessive-Compulsive

    Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder is similar to obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder. People with this disorder are overly focused on orderliness and perfection. Their need to do everything "right" often interferes with their productivity. They tend to get caught up in the details and miss the bigger picture. They set unreasonably high standards for themselves and others, and tend to be very critical of others when they do not live up to these high standards. They avoid working in teams, believing others to be too careless or incompetent. They avoid making decisions because they fear making mistakes and are rarely generous with their time or money. They often have difficulty expressing emotion.
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rayoflight

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Re: Personality Disorders and the BKWSU

Post10 Feb 2010

The list of personality disorders is very interesting. I am curious to know which disorder tends to affect those who become BKs. It is clear that big personality changes happen to those who become afflicted by the BK curse, some of which did not exist before.

There will always be something to improve, but the BK thinks that the drastic personality changes are the best. This is clearly not true, for the elimination of the ego can cause a once confident person to become insecure and possibly even become "Borderline". The suppression of our nature may cause redirection of emotions leading to some of these personality disorders.

The personality "fix" occurs when a follower believes that who they are is shameful. A person may be gregarious by nature but shamed into believing that being outgoing is shameful and being serious is more accepted (by the family and by Baba). They can then develop symptoms of the "Schiziod" or "Avoidant" personality disorder.

Also, as we have read on this forum, some BKs experience the trickery of ghosts and spirits which can lead to symptoms of the "Paranoid" and "Schizotypal," in the same way that hallucinogenic drugs can and have triggered mental disorders in many unsuspecting experimenters.

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