Intro to Mentalization & ANTHONY BATEMAN (Co-Creator of MBT)

Published 2023-02-14
Anthony Bateman, one of the creators of Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) for personality disorders (BPD, NPD, etc) talks about his background and gives an intro to mentalization and how it develops in human beings.

If you need more wisdom: Bateman, along with Peter Fonagy (who is also on our channel), wrote the books "Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder" & "Mentalization-Based Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder," among many other writings.

For a taste of Fonagy -- "How a Borderline Individual is Created" --:    • How a Borderline Person is Created | ...  

For more information about BORDERLINE, the feature-length documentary we made about BPD, please visit: borderlinethefilm.com/

Our archive of videos on mental health is expanding - be sure to subscribe to our channel here: youtube.com/borderlinernotes

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Studio Comma The, LLC and BorderlinerNotes expressly disclaims responsibility and shall have no liability for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffering as a result of reliance on the information in this publication. If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, it’s okay to ask for help. 24 hour support is provided by www.hopeline-nc.org/ (877.235.4525), suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (800.273.8255), kidshelpphone.ca/ (800.668.6868).”

All Comments (21)
  • Incredible! For me, the quality of the material that you are continuing to publish reflects the pursuit of a communication which still rises from personal stories, but without renouncing to a high level scientific approach. Very good 😉
  • @erich1394
    Anthony, I would love to hear some of the ways the evolution of "I Mode" can go wrong in those with BPD or NPD. I personally find myself empathizing uncontrollably to the point where I lose myself or even project myself into the other person - seeing myself in others, often assigning traits to them that are actually my own while inadvertently absorbing portions of their personalities, or even affectations or physical posturing. I mentalize constantly, to the point where I feel like I'm cognitively processing things that would be completely automatic to other people. I remember back in primary school telling myself things like, "Wow, I was so socially inept last year, this year I will be better" and it continued that way until I WAS better, but at some significant cost of personal stability and a loss of real self-ownership. As I'm starting a new job soon, I'm trying to find ways to shore up my interpersonal boundaries so I don't attach too much to the new people that are about to enter my life... or whose lives I am about to enter? It's like jumping in a lake and not knowing whether I get wet or the lake gets Erich.. if I had to guess, the answer is both. I have a deep, lingering suspicion that there is an underlying problem with the mechanism that differentiates between my own state from others. I can't tell if it's a "theory of mind" type problem or if I've just been second guessing my own behavior for so long that it might as well be a separate entity, and therefore in the same bin as everyone else's mind, with no special category for "I." It's as if I manage my emotional state indirectly via managing those around me, while holding back a scintillating resentment that others don't have to do the same thing. It's like my Ego went to lunch and never came back, leaving my anxious-preoccupied Superego to parent my ID into this angry people-pleasing thing. Needless to say, it's becoming a bit of a drag. So I'd be very interested in hearing you elaborate more on the philosophy behind Mentalization Based Therapy, especially the normal and abnormal psychology associated with the formation of the "I Mode" of thinking. Even in this short interview, I'm already hearing things I've been preoccupied with over the years.
  • @Ana-Karina
    Thank you to both interviewer and interviewee for a great interview! The questions were straight to the point and incisive. After listening to a few videos featuring Professor Anthony Bateman, I am impressed and assisted by his calm, patient, humble and intelligent explanations. As someone else commented, I could listen to Professor Bateman all day. Mentalization is a complex subject to explain and/or fully understand, however, he does a wonderful job of patiently and thoroughly explaining it. Also, I agree that psychosocial methods of helping people with psychological difficulties are much more helpful than drugs or medication.
  • This man, Bateman,...seems rock solid with uncanny level of insight . Great & interesting. THANK YOU! The focus circle spotlight filming is wild. I love it.
  • This channel is such a blessing!!! This is fascinating and so educational. Thank you!
  • @jennyblairmcd
    Bravo for all the work that goes into documenting the topic and these practitioners!
  • Yours is one of my favorite channels. Keep up the great content !!
  • Thank you so much for your keeping up with your amazing content Rebbie! Your content is so interesting and helpful I get a genuine dopamine rush whenever a notification pops up. On a sidenote, I want to thank you for mentioning your possible diagnosis on the narcissism spectrum as well as bpd. I may be wrong but I believe this is the first time you mention this. It's incredibly brave and introspective, and goes miles to combat the stigma against a very misunderstood personality disorder. Thank you!!!!
  • @erikavaleries
    Great video and wonderful information, thank you both!
  • @Illkacirma
    thanks for your work! really appreciate it.
  • Wonderful interview. Great questions. Appreciate your vulnerability. I interview them today and just reviewing past ones.
  • @poex3po62
    Great to see discussion around MBT. Here is Australia the leading methods of treatment are DBT and Schema Therapy, both of which were not that helpful for me. I think they could have been more helpful if the programs were structured better but that's a problem with the health system here. But we have one clinic which does MBT and it looks like they do the program in a well structure, proper way. It is hard to find here in Australia but I hope it grows here. There is virtually no TFP here.
  • I've been really interesting in trying MBT and this video was super helpful! I've tried so many kinds of therapy and have gotten really frustrated with not feeling any of them "clicked" with me.