Borderline Personality Disorders: Aileen Wuornos

Aileen Wuornos was born on February 29th, 1956 in Rochester, Michigan. She grew up within a family that almost single-handedly set her up for a future of crime and trouble. When her father was sent to prison for the rape of a seven year old female and her mother abandoned her; she was then left to her grandma who struggled with a substance use disorder and her grandfather was said to have an explosive temperament. Aileen was said to have grown into a kind young girl, however she too had crazy explosions of emotion. Aileen later admitted that she had consensual sex with her brother Keith. In order to get attention and praise she used her body or sex in return for money. This is when her path to prostitution began. At the age of fourteen, she …show more content…
Because of Wuornos’s past, it is important to consider her childhood tragedies when examining possible diagnoses. It can be concluded that Aileen may have suffered Borderline Personality Disorder according to a state psychiatrist. Wuornos’s childhood outbreaks were deemed as irrational and wild. These outbursts never left and throughout her whole life she was quick to lash out at those who “messed with her.” Borderline Personality Disorder is also marked by, “A pattern of intense and unstable relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, often swinging from extreme closeness and love (idealization) to extreme dislike or anger (devaluation)” (NIMH). This can be seen by her swings from close relationships with her brother, to roaming the streets by herself. Or her transition to being head-over-heels for Tyria to being abandoned by her. Her suicide attempts and hypnotic feelings are also indicative of Borderline Personality Disorder. One of the risk factors for this disorder is genetics, because her father suffered from mental illness and was a convicted criminal himself, there is more reason to believe the case for this illness. The dominant emotion of anger is seen throughout her whole life. She expressed rage towards men as a whole and anyone who inhibited her success. Her motivation to provide for Tyria is a huge catalyst for the serial killings. It can be assumed that her ID along with her mental illness plays a big role in pushing her to act in the ways she did. I do believe that Tyria’s mental illness and childhood played a critical role in her life’s story. While “crazy,” is an ambiguous word, I do feel she did not have a malicious heart, just a malicious situation. She was capable of love and cared dearly for those she adored and God. Because of her ability to rationalize her life’s wrongdoings before her death, I do feel she felt