“These are like emotional, psychological Trojan horses": American McGee's BPD Rabbit

Can a stuffed animal help people to cope with BPD? In this episode, I interview American McGee, the celebrated video game designer and mastermind behind the mental health Plushie Dreadfuls line. We talk about his BPD Rabbit, metaphors and stereotypes, the connection between this bunny and the one in American McGee's Alice, the crowd design process, dark humor, and the controversy surrounding the mental health plushies. Plushie Dreadfuls website Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass George Lakoff on conceptual metaphors Ronald W. Pies on mental illness as a metaphor Donald Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects

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A Real Affliction: BPD, Culture, and Stigma A Real Affliction: BPD, Culture, and Stigma is an interview podcast that explores how we live with, treat, advocate for, write about, and conceptualize borderline personality disorder, as well as common co-occurring challenges like complex PTSD, eating disorders, and substance use disorder, all of which I’ve experienced. My guests and I will also discuss how literature, film, television, photography, dance, philosophy, the history of medicine, feminist and disability studies, nature, and bioethics reflect, illuminate, and impact the experience and cultural perceptions of BPD. Episodes are released twice a month, starting on April 19, 2024.