TikTok removed the cluster B boyfriend skit: a debrief

[@SurajRajan]

Neurologist here. Please continue posting. You fill a really important and unaddressed vacuum in Medicine, with these explanatory psych videos. If such videos are a "community violation", you could include this "pause-explain-play" review style takes. But you are a good actor, and the nuance you bring to this both as a doctor and as someone who is trying to embody that person, is incredibly powerful. Thanks for your time and effort.

[@alternativewalls4988]

Getting unreasonably angry at the depiction of cluster b is so cluster b

[@yashicaagarwal7909]

Cluster b has a definition and he depicted that definition And cluster b people proved that definition.

[@saucyfresh9396]

So people with a mental illness shouldn't have any say in how their mental illness is portrayed to the public...?

[@DiamondKingVideos]

​@@yashicaagarwal7909 he came full circle lol. The ban was his vindicati0n haha

[@othmaneelmansouri6314]

That's kinda funny

[@SeanStrange-o1x]

I have BPD. I have been that person. Please, please dont stop making content like this. I wish I had seen this sooner. I might have realized my wild emotions, the intense searing pain I felt throughout my whole body every time I was splitting at my partner, the constantly blaming her for my emotions, that all of that wasn't normal or okay. I might've talked with a therapist sooner. I might've known to tell them about these enotuonal swings and the outbursts that came with them, the instant "they cant love me" "I deserved to be treated like this" "they're secretly mocking me for feeling this way" thoughts that rushed through my mind when I'd have experiences like those you depicted. The need to be intensely controlling and domineering, to reject what I internally feared was true and demand that she make me feel okay. I might've known I was in the wrong, that I was the instigator, that I needed help. I might've been able to get a BPD diagnosis sooner. I might've been able to get DBT and a therapist with a lot of experience helping people like me, I might've been able to start working on my BPD and learn how to have healthy communication and that I had to stop choosing my own comfort and security to keep from constantly hurting the woman I loved. I might've been able to tell her why I was constantly fighting, why I was so unreasonable, not to excuse it but to finally own up to the reality she had quietly been accepting because she had grown up abused and feared being alone, just like me. I might've been able to do right by her sooner. I might've stopped being abusive sooner. And I might've learned to love myself and realize I wasn't my genuine self, that I lived with PTSD and several other mental illnesses that were buried deep beneath this monster that is DBT. I resonate with those commenters who fear stigmatization. I've lost friends, even had family turn away from me when I've told them about my diagnosis. Even though I was trying to celebrate progress, that I was getting better, they thought of these horrible societal depictions of BPD that aren't realistic or rooted in reality. I grew up watching those depictions too, I thought I couldn't possibly have BPD because I had seen those depictions and knew that wasn't what my life was like. What you showed wasn't that. What you showed in that skit was a beautiful, succinct, moderate example of what my day to day life looked like FOR MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE. I didn't feel stigmatized when I saw it, I didn't fear what others would think about people like me when they saw that. I felt seen. I felt like I was looking into a mirror and seeing my past. I sent it to my wife and she cried, and together we cried tears of joy at how much healthier our lives are now that I got the care I needed. I'm glad it's still up on KZbin. I've struggled for years to explain what my experience was like, what I was doing when I went through these thoughts and feelings of splitting, so others could understand. Your skit didn't spread stigma, it depicted what my life was like before I got help. Please, dear god please don't stop making content like this. Please make more of it. Maybe have the skit and then follow it up with a critical assessment and show how each element speaks to a different aspect of the diagnoses. You don't need to make it a monolith, you can point out that there's room in between these diagnoses and that there's differences in root causes but you can show how these behaviors are wrong, and speak to how while they might come from mental illness they are still that person's responsibility for owning and recognizing as a problem and getting help for. You can tell others that the victims in this situation aren't helpless, that them asserting how they're being treated wrong and that providing therapy as a solution to be taken seriously could meaningfully repair things. How it won't just get better overnight, but that if they try, patients in loving healthy relationships recover faster and have less remission than those without healthy relationships. You can talk about how it's not the victims responsibility, but if they're going to stick around and suffer for their sick partner's sake that they can at least try to be a part of the solution, that their behavior isn't inevitable. I hope you see this. I hope you know how much this means to me, that knowing that kids might grow up seeing content like this and not relive the generational trauma I was stuck in. When our kids are old enough, I'm showing them this skit and talking with them about what I went through, how it's unhealthy and how different behaviors foster communication and love and not resentment and fear like these behaviors do. I only hope that when I do, I'll have more videoes of yours like this to show them as well. Thank you for what you're doing. You're making the world a better place with content like this. Thank you, thank you, thank you ❤️

[@LewyPick]

Don’t let them bully you and censor you. You introduced a totally novel way of learning about these symptoms that isn’t available and would be a tremendous resource for everyone. Especially for mental health professionals to correctly diagnose- I mean the sad reality is that this person would be diagnosed as “bipolar 2” or “ptsd” instead of NPD/BPD. You as a future psychiatrist would then be spending countless visits trying to explain why the former diagnoses are not relevant and trying to taper them off their multiple medications and encouraging them to continue/prioritize therapy. I really think you should keep doing these videos, or at very least turn it into a scholarly resident education project and publish it in academic psychiatry or something.

[@AdamSturdi]

As a med student, gotta say it is obvious your heart is in the right place and I find your content in general and the cluster B skit to be informative and helpful. Even if the tiktok forum doesn't work out, if you can continue to demo the various thought patterns and processes but with an included or intermittent debrief maybe that would lessen the tension and make clear the purpose as educational and to raise awareness. Support and love to you, also appreciate seeing someone do an apology in a way that could be a role model for me when i'll inevitably need to respond to feedback in the future.

[@asdfjklasdfjkl408]

I thought this was SO helpful. I will never forget what a cluster B personality looks like.

[@mrfranponzio782]

So sad the video was put down, cause I found the way you depicted cluster B behavior in relationship as the most concrete, effective. I would really enjoy if you posted similar content, hoping the guidelines won’t be as hard next time… Thanks!

[@Low_pH]

I actually remember our psychiatrists preceptors acting out the clusters for us and we had ro try to identify them. It was funny but always helpful for the reasons you stated

[@ashutoshsharmash]

Thank you so much for making that video Dr. Preston. I saw it before it was taken down. It was hard and it brought back flashbacks. It brought back memories of an ex who would behave exactly like this and brought me down so badly, that I started to question, whether I was the bad person. I was depressed and apologetic all the time. It got to a point where I was shouted at in public and I was literally scared. I decided I couldnt be in something like this and decided to leave. I'm a doctor myself (Internal Medicine, in residency) , and yet, I couldn't identify what was wrong. So I really appreciate what you did. We need more such videos.

[@T123456788]

I also think most academic/clinical depictions of mental health are of people who require hospitalization, not people who are unwell/disordered but still able to function reasonably well in society so skits like the one you did have a lot of value.

[@5omethingsBetterThanNothing]

I dont know, the accurate dpeiction might be uncomfortable for some but the overarching goal was different.. medicine can be uncomfortable, i mean no one wants to see a surgery of arm reconstruction… but its essential to see it through. I loved the new idea and welcome more of it

[@agent0422]

I appreciate you honestly engaging with the criticism rather than just ignoring it

[@dmc01]

I appreciate your candor Preston. I think with some slight modifications this could be a useful subseries for us to learn about accurate depictions of DSM disorders. Maybe include a disclosure in the video so the audience knows its meant to be a educational skit.

[@PhoenixBlade538]

Totally agree!! I’m interested in pursuing psychiatry and what he said about not seeing the symptoms played out in real life really resonated with me!

[@queerqueries]

Thirding this comment! I think with some introductory framing to differentiate the video from the comedy sketches, audiences from various backgrounds (casual observer, medical trainee, medical professional) would be able to interpret the intention more accurately and have a guide rope to follow through the discomfort of experiencing the toxicity.

[@talex3844]

I think this would be EXTREMELY helpful. I originally interpreted the short as somewhat mocking and punching-down-y because the format, title, and even written structure of the short were all the same as content that tends to mock or at least expose in a strictly negative light. A disclaimer and more objective title would have gone a long way to help me understand this nuance ahead of time.

[@Puppybuns]

As someone neurodivergent who has found themselves in relationships with cluster b partners in the past: your depiction felt spot on, to the point where it reminded me why I screen for this kind of behaviour in my relationships nowadays. I would say you did a great job eliciting those emotions.

[@ArloKnudsenFit]

I get guideline warnings all the time on TikTok. They can be unreasonable. Your video was useful. It was almost immediately recognized as serious.

[@MorgiTime]

People need videos like that to recognize that they're in a toxic relationship. Very sad that a few mad cluster B's got it taken down.

[@ksir3058]

Your patients are very lucky to have you in their corner! Keep growing and making an impact!

[@acetpang]

I think your reflection is valuable and thank you for vocalizing your thoughts and reflections. I think we all deserve space to recognize areas where we could've been a better version of ourselves and see each of us as an ever-work in progress, rather than stable, fixed beings with fixed "flaws." Though I did not find your skit inflaming, I can see how some people might receive it this way and I think you captured that aptly. Think next time, humor and maybe pauses within the video with educational tidbits - "what i'm trying to show you here is x," or "what statements like this point towards is..." - might be received better. I liked the video but agree it's tough to put a video out there like that for the general public.

[@arcraus]

The video was very helpful, and I think doing it with annotations (like 10sec of a skit) and then explanation would soften and contextualize the portrayal. Part of why it evoked such strong responses was because it was so well done. Psych is different from imitating a seizure because of the high degree of subjectivity and the challenge of trying to quantify the “essence” of a mental health condition via DSM language. Idk I think the video was extremely useful, maybe just add some qualifiers and explanations next time. I wouldn’t stop posting them whole cloth

[@Matt-fl8uy]

NGL, this is a more professional, thoughtful approach than we've had from ANY recent US president. As a BP2 guy, I can't tell my own story because other folks are the ones who live that experience with me. This is a very thoughtul approach.

[@ditzyasmr13]

you're completely in the right here. i personally find it quite irritating when i read comments about not "demonizing bpd or other cluster b disorders" when it's a video accurately showing a representation of that disorder. people who say that either have a cluster b disorder or they have never had to deal with someone who has it. i think that it takes away a layer of responsibility when it comes to the negative actions of people who have a cluster b disorder. Cluster b disorders are characterized by a lot of dramatic, emotional, and erratic behaviors, and unfortunately, a lot of the time that comes out as manipulative or harmful behaviors towards others. i think that in the end, videos like these help people who have encountered ppl like this, but they also help ppl with cluster b disorders in the sense that they can see their behavior from an outside perspective and see that it is wrong and use that as fuel to better themselves and take responsibility.

[@kathexis]

I agree - Having a Cluster B personality disorder doesn't exempt you from responsibility from your actions. It actually is more of a reason to take responsibility given the tendencies a person with a Cluster B personality has and knowing how they can be harmful to other people. I feel that showing a negative interaction with a Cluster B individual isn't necessarily stigmatizing them especially if the depictions are genuinely accurate. Dramatic, emotional, erratic - that is the real presentation of most people with Cluster B PDs who are either unaware they behave that way or are aware they do and they don't care to change (or know how to).

[@fireice8828]

It's a broader issue of pathologizing every aspect of human behavior. Once you label a behavior, it becomes viewed like a disease that is not your fault. Serial killers and murderers get called 'mentally ill' which makes it seem like it's not under their control, when in reality, sole people are just evil, some people are just manipulative and abusive, we can categorize them and label them with medical terms but it's not a disease, just a label

[@sarahthompson8098]

i'm adding my voice to the choir of others who are very disheartened to hear you no longer want to post. you owe us nothing, and i respect your decision. but i think you offer a perspective that is otherwise lacking in the "med influencer"... ?"medfluencer" (i'm so sorry) community. you're the only one i can stand for the most part. and the honesty in it is so relatable and makes my experiences as a PGY-too many years feel seen. and laugh at myself sometimes. and think critically about the profession & abundant toxicity occasionally. and self-reflect. i hope you can find a way to continue that feels genuine to you, bc we appreciate you

[@DustinMaxim1015]

I think you have incredible empathy and artistic genius, Preston. I’m astonished by the humility in this video. I found your original video eye opening towards my own behavior-and while it was uncomfortable to experience, some great art is uncomfortable. I think you are a true modern artist, and I revere you.

[@gabeg132]

Appreciate not only your introspection and reflection, but also the mention of psammoma bodies - reinforcing my current studies! ♥

[@Emily-hd9sm]

"furthering the stigma" okay here's the problem. A disorder, by definition, has to cause distress or dysfunction to be bad enough to earn that title. One of the main ways that psychiatric disorders cause distress/dysfunction is by hurting those around the individual expressing them. If you never depict the ways in which traits like cluster b traits hurt others, you cannot give the full picture. There was nothing moralistic in that video, nowhere did you say "and that's why you shouldn't love/support/help someone with a cluster b disorder." And while many people were saying "oh I understand my ex friend/partner/family member," I'd like to add that I saw some of my own worst behaviors in that video. I've grown a lot, but part of that growth came from seeing my own behavior around me, realizing that I did those things, and resolving not to be like that. So yeah. The fear of stigmatizing psychiatric disorders cannot become a form of censorship. It won't actually help those with said disorders

[@YanpingSoongNora]

I’m sad your video got taken down. I really agree with you. As an M2 student with a strong interest in psych, I struggle not to over share, but I used to have a borderline PD / bipolar NOS diagnosis which was replaced 8 years ago with PTSD (from childhood trauma, ACE of 6). Currently, the chart notes on MyChart only mention PTSD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, asthma, and my psychiatrist is even treating me for what he thinks is a long-unrecognized “feminine” presentation of ADHD Though now I think I was misdiagnosed in part because autism / ADHD is typically much more commonly diagnosed in male patients, i also worked a lot in therapy to develop strong coping skills and take charge of my emotions. I really appreciated your video because UWorld, in house exams, shelf exams etc have NEVER described a male patient with borderline personality disorder. Female patients basically need to have Rett’s or extreme verbal disabilities for autism spectrum disorder to be considered. At the risk of shouting, I want to say WE NEED MUCH MORE REALISTIC AND NUANCED SKITS, because continued misdiagnosis due to a culture of teaching frank stereotypes that feel stuck in the 1950s really needs to stop

[@GamerOX1000]

DO NOT STOP POSTING THIS. I'm a surviver of DV and all 3 kinds of abuse, I've lived with people like this who are diagnosed with Cluster B disorders. IF I HAD SEEN YOUR TIK TOK, I WOULD HAVE PROTECTED MYSELF SOONER. My childhood didn't give me an understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like, and I didn't know I could stand up for myself when my partners were putting me down. I have mental health issues myself, I know people who have recovered from Cluster B disorders who have expressed a lot of regret over behaving this way, and I really really really hope you don't stop posting. If I had seen your Tik Tok years ago, I would have been able to avoid years of abuse I didn't even recognize as abuse. Please, please don't stop posting. It's a service to both victims as well as those who are stuck in a mental health spiral they need to recognize and get help for. Both would have benefited from seeing your post sooner. Thank you for what you're doing here ❤

[@williamzhu2313]

Pls keep making this! It’s super helpful! And especially with the stigma it’s even more important to shed light on these important but poorly understood things.

[@malia2504]

I found no problem with your skit, and I think most people don’t have a problem with it either!

[@PDBC69]

posting it on a comedy-themed channel might be a bit much. Labeling it educational or including a disclosure or discussion rather than presenting it as a skit would make it more than fine imo.

[@bradcallahan3546]

Lmfao. Cringe

[@stuarthenry3157]

There's a type of person who begins comments like "hi so actually," and it's almost always a dead giveaway you're about to hear the worst opinion of your life...

[@killerchicken750]

Could you do one for cluster a and c? I feel like it would also be very beneficial

[@KS-cz9qc]

Really enjoyed the cluster b sketch and confused as to why they took it down. It’s important to recognize dysfunctional relationships and areas of growth and you do a great job of presenting this. Thank you and keep posting!

[@kathexis]

Cluster B individuals ARE difficult to deal with and a lot of the issues they have with people are interpersonal and can cause strain for someone in a relationship with them. I don't feel your video was condemnatory even with the old video title. You showed a common, run of the mill interaction with individuals with cluster B traits which happen on a daily basis. It was jarring, but I think your videos could be a new genre of education about personality disorders. It was also validating - the experience of "being the girlfriend" of someone with those traits was very real as someone who has gone through that experience. I can appreciate the other side to this where people view it as stigmatizing and how patients could see you acting in this role showing their behaviour negatively and potentially trust you less or see you as 'unprofessional'. I felt the tone was serious, which was appropriate as the topic was serious. You do comedy sketches, which are great, but don't let people put you back in that box. You're a creator, and you're allowed to evolve and venture into any genre. A creator understands "innovate or die". If people don't like that, well you can observe their feedback, but it is ultimately their own problem. KZbin is the wild west - anything goes (as long as it follows community guidelines). edit: same goes for TikTok

[@someonesomeone529]

You are not just doing comedy with a skit, you are also a doctor. I am a radiologist, this situation sounds something like if some people got offended or felt "stigmatised" with things like mockingbird sign, brocken heart sign idk star sign. It is easier for any normal human being to relate to familiar patterns than it is to actual pathology, so this is the way we learn to recognize. In psychiatry, is there a better way than actually acting it to teach and recognize signs? I don't think negative comments are coming from professionals or anyone with education in the field. It is probably people who found themselves in your skit and got offended for some reason. Imo it is more stigmatising to simply ignore the tools to recognize, just so, patients or certain people who for some reason feel relevant to discussion don't feel stigmatised.

[@LewyPick]

Possible bird in the brain. But I thought it was a hummingbird?

[@fratetraine]

Nuance in motion is a beautiful thing.

[@ItWillRainXO]

I think your video probably saved someone’s life in recognizing they need to get out of a relationship with escalating safety issues.

I think the outrage is so riduculous. People go through this and they need to cope somehow. You were making a video about a behaviour and that's it. Yes, there is a stigma, but all cluster b people or anyone who excuses their behaviour for some reason need to understand that we still blame/don't believe the victim for the most part. The truth is, cluster b behaviour can be very abusive, and we should shine the light on it. Because victims sometimes don't even realise they are being manipulated. If someone doesn't like the truth of it (in a very palpable video) maybe they need to take a long look in the mirror. Your videos helped a ton since I'm studying psych. Keep posting them, ignore the trolls...

[@ChristopherLeeson-o2r]

Weird that a cluster B personality trait would be pissed off at a negative depiction of cluster B personality traits.

[@jimjamesjimothy]

It really is a shame it got taken down. It reminds me of reading book reviews of “I hate you don’t leave me” that were a lot of either 1 or 5 stars (black and white?). I think you did a good job of validating the emotions of those who got upset and may have had some of their own cluster B symptoms called out but the risk is to adjust our lives (and your ability to educate) based on their inability to self regulate. I’m a psych lecturer and would have loved to use your videos on personality in lectures.

[@evanmarshall3487]

It's reasonable to question the professionalism of a psychiatrist acting out skits of psychiatric disorders. It's unreasonable for those videos to be censored by Big Tech.

[@petergivenbless900]

"Representational Irony"; I think most people have had the experience of watching a movie or TV show and being confronted with actors performing something that they have personally experienced in real life themselves, and feeling a mix of "cringe" / embarrassment / offense in response, as if the performance, even if completely earnest and well observed, is making fun of their experience. The act of "acting" can be taken as mocking or trivialising (and, is one of the reasons why most religions have prohibitions on how deities are represented) because it suggests that authentic experiences can be convincingly faked. But most people understand the inherent irony of performance; that what we are seeing is a representation of something, and not the authentic thing, and accept that as integral to their suspension of disbelief. However, sometimes you will find a performance resonates unexpectedly with you in a way that leaves you feeling personally "exposed" (the dark side of feeling "seen" in media) and you have to remember that there is an irony in such performance, without which, most dramatic art would not be engaging or meaningful.

[@madeleinewilliams4543]

I don’t find it to be icky, just like most of the other commentators here. There will *always* be people who find offense anywhere they look. But speak your truth and speak the truth of the many of us who have actually had these experiences. The censorship around cluster B personality disorders really needs to end, from what I’ve seen on social media.

[@Hal-p5y]

I have transient BPD symptoms. This is an accurate portrayal of an episode. Just because something makes you uncomfortable doesn’t mean it isn’t true to life. Is the boyfriend in the skit evil/irredeemable? No, but he’s being really shitty and what’s going on can lead to full blown toxicity/codependence or abuse. He’s unhealthy, and even IF he doesn’t directly harm others he’s also a threat to himself. Cluster B disorders are PTSD disorders that require therapy, support and intervention. It is possible to show the uglier side of BPD while advocating for help (for both partners.)

[@DiamondKingVideos]

Watched both videos shortly after they were posted actually, both were informative, and insightful. But the first one rang so true that it was a great reminder and also clearly humorous ("you're making me yell at you" 😂) Keep your chin up, fellow resident

[@annie-mari]

I thought the video was spot on as someone who is in medicine and grew up with a parent with BPD. Honestly triggering, but that's because it was so real. One suggestion to make it more "palatable": Try adding in education text throughout the conversation. For example, point out when splitting or possible fears of abandonment are coming up. I could see how people without an understanding for the reasons behind the boyfriend's reaction ONLY see the emotional abuse that is displayed and then connect that cluster B = abusive = bad and difficult person, which of course is problematic. But please keep making content like this! I think it is very powerful and valuable.

[@Shashashashaoreosage123]

You brought the cluster to life so we can recognize what this looks like, it could hold whatever purpose, but education will always be the basis of any information that we consume. I hope you continue these videos, maybe providing an example with a commentary at the end of the video, so that people recognize your intention clearly, hopefully. You do not realize how much it helps everyone, or maybe you do, especially neurodivergent folk. Additionally, it would help to provide information on how to manage and/or escape the circumstance to protect one’s safety/mental/physical health. This may be too much to ask for, you’re busy, but this is quality education. We appreciate you!!!!

[@cyrodiilbunz938]

That video reminded me a lot of theslappablejerk videos. They're a very strange border of comedy and identification of social problems. Maybe debriefing some of his videos could provide a way for your content to continue in that zone without you being the one having to make it

[@ollieq3150]

That's such a good idea

[@dolphinloser6546]

The difference is that theslappablejerk doesn't depict his characters as examples of mental illness. They're just assholes. Personality disorders of any type or class/cluster exist on a wide scale, like any other mental disorder, and can present in a lot of different ways, so titling a video of an abusive/toxic person as "an accurate depiction" of cluster b personality disorders only serves to alienate the people with those conditions who either don't have that type of presentation, or who are aware of their disorder's effects and are seeking help/support. If I had BPD and I saw a video in which someone from a medical background showed an abusive person and claimed this was an accurate depiction of what it was like for people to interact with me, I'd never seek help. Bpd, Hpd, even NPD and ASPD, are all wildly different disorders that each exist on separate wide spectrums: lumping them together is inaccurate in and of itself, but lumping them all together as "makes people abusive" is harmful

[@johnkim6447]

Keep doing what you’re doing Preston, you’re making a huge difference.

[@jaggederest]

I think you could get there with the exact same video with a ~10-15s intro about what your goals are by posting it. I don't know if there's space for that on tiktok though.

[@PleSeagr]

NPD and Bipolar run in my family, including me, and the depiction was very realistic. It looked like you portrayed the exact thought process of someone experiencing a crash and rejection with NPD, and I've used some of those exact phrases when I felt people I cared about were "provoking" me into being the bad guy. They didn't, but that's what the disorder makes it feel like. And the inappropriate reactions stem from feeling hurt (like the character in the skit did). It takes a lot of effort, and years of therapy to be better, and I didn't feel like this was inherently punching down, the same way it wouldn't be if you depicted an addict before rehab lashing out at people. Rehab exists for addicts, and treatment plans exist for people with cluster B to manage our symptoms.

[@peterolson2407]

You're good man. Tiktok may have overreacted, but you had a gracious response to that. Live and learn.

[@joschtuegs2562]

Your video was extremely helpful, it didn’t come off as mocking cluster B personalities in my opinion . It wasn’t disrespectful in my opinion, although I may be biased as an EM nurse.

[@kylekane5727]

As someone that was a partner twice in relationships like that, (my two ex-partners being the ClusterB bf ), I watched the clip and I did feel that uncomfortability but at the same time I do realize that being in those relationships made me stronger and better for different reasons. I actually would have applauded you ( in actuality I still do), for making that, because it is something real, and people do go through these things, and we need to have that so that people are stronger and people know the signs, so they don't fall for those things. I know it sounds weird granted I just said my experience made me stronger but I feel that just from watching the clip, it was very well made and accurate obviously because that behavior is in your field of work, but I also feel like getting a warning, was so unnecessary because that to me says, I'm to sensitive, and I'm to much of a you know (please fill in with whatever feels right), to actually deal with something like that, to actually know something like this exist in the world, and I feel like by making you take it down, says I have control issues , and because you did something I don't like I don't want to see it, because its all about what I want, (from the perspective of the person sending this). obviously I don't know if that's real or not, maybe I'm missing some points, but I'm third year pre-med, and dealing with such personalities, I feel made me stronger in terms of knowing how to deal with certain personalities without fully self-destructing. I don't know if any of this made sense. But you and Dr. G are my fav people on here and I hope to see more content, because you're amazing. Oh I wanted to make one more point, I wanted to say being aware of my ex's personality traits, and going to therapy and a psychiatrist now, made me think, because in that process, I found I'm ADHD, and have PTSD but were still working on that diagnosis, and OCD as well Anyway it made think that probably, bestdes all the other things I learned, from those relationships, was that at those times, I didn't love myself properly, and I think, some that lays into the behavior of my ex's, as well, because I know that they struggled with self love and but now I feel that I had to realize that I wasn't loving myself because I was allowing these things to happen, and granted those two relationships were my longest 5 years and 4 and half respectively. Anyway, I also think that on top of that learning to love myself, I grew to know that I can love anyone no matter what, because were on this planet and keeping hate, will keep Me on their level, and I had to rise above it, and look at everything. from a higher perspective. ok sorry I typed soooo much and made you read a novel. lol I just wanted to say thank you and you are the best!! .... You and Dr.G are the best....... BTW I hope to become an orthobro ..lol

[@thebeatles9]

honestly just so jealous. i'm still grinding pre-med in my 30s and having worked in MH for almost a decade now

[@lisachaia7150]

There is nothing wrong with your depiction. The problem is the audience your presenting to. I don't watch TikTok. It's attention seeking and grabbing genre. I follow you here. I find all of your content helpful and hilarious! I say keep doing what you are doing here on KZbin and just do the stuff on TikTok that speaks to that type of audience ❤

[@Cozaest]

I strongly doubt you’ll be checking the comments of a 3 year old video, but as someone diagnosed with BPD, I don’t necessarily think you’re in the wrong, and I applaud what you’re trying to do. While yes, I initially absolutely hated that video, I also realize that not everyone with a cluster B has put in anywhere near the work both in and out of therapy to manage symptoms in a healthier way for others and to properly communicate. I think in the future, skit ideas like that can be an amazing resource for people to see how things can be if left untreated, but then maybe at the end of the video showing the character with the disorder communicating in a healthier manner in order to simultaneously combat the stigma and maybe encourage those dealing with it untreated to seek help Irregardless, thank you for all you do and the content you put out motivating through my own journey in pursuing healthcare and medicine

[@888167]

you could always post comedy only on TikTok if videos like these are to serious and post more serious videos only on KZbin? pls continue with these, they are really valuable!

[@MatheusHenrique-vs4bg]

Honestly anything people report gets taken out. It's like when someone reports you for no reason in LoL and you still get softbanned. Reporting systems are dysfunctional in most platforms. That is why Google for example makes it so hard for someone to report an advertisement (if you ever tried to, you would see what I mean).

[@yourPru]

you go Doc! 🎉 great idea ❤

[@ada5851]

I think the dialogue and discussion gained from posting a video like this is valuable and I’m glad you followed up on it with more nuance. I don’t think a black-or-white yes-or-no on whether content like this should be posted is the answer because these are complex scenarios concerning complex disorders and relationships. What people should take away from this is that nothing is as simple as can be presented in a short-form clip, but such short-form content can be great at catching attention about these issues in our current society and forcing these much-needed conversations and education to occur. The thing is, nothing we do will be perfect, but as long as we remain open to these discussions and are willing to talk about the nuances it will be beneficial in the long term. I think a simple #tw and #educational, as well as a longer video linked to discuss the short might help if you choose to continue making this sort of content. So in that case it might be better to post these videos on KZbin which is the only platform that makes this possible. TikTok is really not the place for balanced, nuanced conversations.

[@2atony170]

Nah man this was a masterpiece

[@melanietrusz7759]

The cluster b skit was hard to watch; not the typical parody I expected. It guess it was jarring to see you act that way. Afterwards I went and looked up what disorders comprise cluster b, which was interesting.

[@maddymaddoc]

No statement in that video content or description suggests it was made for fun! Sensitive people will always be sensitive to what you do or do NOT include in your content. People might falsely "assume" their Presbro, who is always making funny stuff, coming up with a new video, and "assume" that was supposed to be funny. My only suggestion would be to post educational content in another, more professional-appearing profile or create a playlist/video series of professional content starting with a brief introduction. You do you, Preston; I find your content very high quality and spot-on most of the time.

[@davidkiliman3719]

How do we grapple with the duality of how effective roleplaying is as a mechanism to convey certain complex behaviors that are best informed by witnessing them in practice vs the general ickiness of an actor roleplaying those behaviors? Do we disregard roleplay as as educational tool due to ickiness? Preface roleplay with disclaimer? Is there previous work on this topic that describes roleplay as an inappropriate tool and / or how to use it appropriately?

[@itspresro]

These are all excellent questions and I’m pondering them

[@ollieq3150]

Hey, not every message we put out there will be received as smoothly as we'd like it to, but that doesn't make your mission any less important. I didn't catch the video while it was still up but I've really appreciated much of your other content, and i think it's incredibly valuable to have voices on TikTok & other social media discussing fraught topics from an accredited POV. This kind of content really bridges the gap to bring knowledge to more laypersons in an accessible way, without talking down to the viewer, and we really need that. If it weren't for pros taking their time to make digestible content about their areas of specialization, then the conversation would be less about learning "real facts" & more like playing a game of telephone with pop culture caricatures of real conditions. So, i see why you decided to delete that skit after all. Comparing your skit to "reenactments" of more visible physical ailments makes sense, but i think because of the vagueness you mention with the "definitions" of mental illnesses, acting out examples is more necessary to reach fuller understand than with the "visible" ailments. There's so much we DON'T see with mental illness, so we have to try to decipher the underlying thought patterns & beliefs that lead to what might otherwise seem like potentially "nonsensical" behaviors. Just my two cents. Don't let it get ya down. Cheers

[@The_Life]

Even though I felt like it was triggering, I'm really sad it was taken down. It took me so long to realise what was wrong in that relationship and each person is different and deals with their diagnosis differently but, as a nurse, I agree that it'd be nice to have a clinical picture. Not everyone fits the by-the-book standard of clinical symptoms for their diagnoses. A part of learning medicine is learning what the differences is. But it's ALWAYS helpful to have an example to go by. I think if you had just clarified what you were trying to accomplish at the video start, maybe? That it wasn't meant to be funny? I don't know why some people thought that but... Yeah, I think this would be really helpful, clinically

[@ItsAsparageese]

I wonder if including an out-of-character explanatory intro or outro on such videos might help make it abundantly clear that it's educational roleplay content? I say this as someone who isn't on tiktok and isn't up on the latest details of short-form content time limits, so maybe that doesn't balance out against such time limits or maybe it wouldn't make a difference, but I thought I should toss it out there. I think what you're doing is very valuable. And I do definitely grok and appreciate your concern about walking the line between validating victims and stigmatizing those with disorders. You're doing great work man, and no matter how you tune the details over time, it's clear we can trust your ethical compass, and that's what matters.

[@Luminous.A.Glory_VitaNostra]

I think the video was helpful! Maybe a little disclaimer screen explaining the point of the video + a trigger warning then go ahead and share your content. Hope you hang in there!

[@leightonolsson4846]

I genuinely think it just needed more contextualisation than, especially short form, social media can provide. I don't think you are punching down. It's slightly ambiguous about the level of self awareness the cluster B guy has, but it's informative and funny too.

[@jmanzo2009]

I kind of felt sick to my stomach even just watching the clips, geez

[@absdefghijklmnopful]

Saw your video on YT, made me reflect on some of my own actions that are in line with Cluster B personality traits. Although it was uncomfortable for me, as I am sure it was uncomfortable to many people who saw their own actions in your portrayal of a Cluster B-aligned individual, your video can be (and has been) a point from which people start reflecting on their actions. Just wanted to let you know that amidst the negativity and controversy your video seems to have generated, it's also had a positive effect on people.

[@cameronlee7591]

In my opinion i think only good can come from these kinda videos

[@alexanderrahman9387]

There are a lot of brilliant and thoughtful responses in here, and I’m going to throw out a different sentiment. This felt like a bit of after-care following the previous video

[@Paul-kz6qx]

please continue posting

[@sarkin5181]

Hi Preston, Love a lot of your skits. I will admit that this one made me sad. If you look at the comments on this video 'defending' you, they are quite cruel to pwBPD. While trying to make an informative skit, you have unwittingly created an environment for people to be cruel. I have no doubt that this was not your intention. I think as a psychiatrist you must uniquely remember exactly how fraught these kinds of things are and always endeavor to be kind, especially these days when using personality disorders as insults is so in the zeitgeist.

[@DE123456123456]

What the Hell That video was REAL VERY REAL AN EXCELLENT VIDEO Its never meant to be a comedy skits its an AWARENESS VIDEO

[@lukaivezic]

Good luck on pleasing every histrionic narcissist with an internet connection. You really shouldn't care about the most miniscule amount of whining from social media nobodies.

[@elysianfibres1642]

I've watched quite a few "acting toxic so you can spot it"-type videos. I can see the use in them for someone who's never experienced something like that, and they might help them spot red flags. However, I find them triggering and just click off ASAP.

[@Dragonmoon1598]

As someone who has been consuming "red flags" to avoid "toxic behavior" and abusive relationship content as a meanse to avoid that in dating myself (I'm a guy). I misunderstood the intention of this video. I didn't understand what Cluster B was. I never heard of it. Even though the title was shared in the video (that was my mistake, I did not do research myself. I'm not putting that on you). But, because the internet of the video wasn't clear, I can understand how it was misinterpreted or perceived in a negative light. Because there is very much a spotlight on "alpha," "incel," and "red pill" behavior right now. This depiction very much fell into that category instead of educational. So, my only critique would be to make that educational element clearer. As I did feel it was off brand from what you normally posted so I was a bit confused what the goal of the video was. Regardless, thank you for your channel and the information you provide.

[@kevingave3153]

I think it is good. I am not sure it is a disorder. She should not drag you to parties to make HER feel more comfortable. She may have a disorder of her own.

[@sodiebergh]

Found this video first, went back and watched the 'cluster b bf' here on YT. My takeaways are: 1.) I know more people with this personality than I realized 2.) I love all her calm responses 3.) You're a *really* good actor, cause you made me tense up 4.) I did bust out laughing at the end. Keep up the excellent work, Preston 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@evanmarshall3487]

Its important to understand that "personality disorders" are extremes of behaviors that we all are capable of demonstrating from time-to-time, just to a seriously disordered level. So, just because some people you know may, on occasion, display behaviors consistent with the video does not mean that they are Cluster B.

[@sodiebergh]

@@evanmarshall3487 very good clarification, thank you for pointing that out.

[@wasta2793]

Nah man, I think the one thing that separates psychiatry from medicine is that you can encounter these disorders every day. Most of these people don't get diagnosed and I dont think you have anything to apologize for. You displayed symptoms that were common in a patient with BPD and for the laymen, they wouldn't recognize. Using the seizure example is a bit extreme. These patients are not seizing, they're manipulating as a part of their disease. The separating is there for a reason and I think the more people that see this, the better. They can recognize their behavior or separate themselves from the problem.

[@Crows_before_bros]

Sorry people can’t tolerate accurate depictions of cluster B males

[@DrDeusExMachina]

Pros: you help someone identify a potentially dangerous situation with a partner they are with and help them Cons: you hurt a woke person on tik tok

[@jamesburton1050]

Or maybe someone else should be the bad guy?

[@m136dalie]

That comment about not stigmatising cluster B or bpd triggered me lol. Some people are just bad. Simple as. Just because you chuck a label on it and call it a personality "disorder" does not give these people free reign with their horrible behaviours. It should not be excusable. At the end of the day some people are just bad people with bad behaviours and we should be allowed to criticise them for it. Having a personality disorder isnt some kind of disease we can fix, it's a personality problem.

[@dolphinloser6546]

The point is that these disorders aren't what make someone bad - people with these disorders can and do have happy, non-toxic and fulfilling relationships. Some of them may act in the way Preston depicted, but not all of them - potentially not even most - so to say that an abusive or toxic person is "accurate" to what people with personality disorders act like would be similar to depicting someone with autism having a severe rage attack and saying "this is what autistic people act like". Some autistic people sometimes have rage attacks, but this doesn't make the video accurate or non-stigmatising. You're right, we should be able to criticise people for bad behavior, just not for having personality disorders because "having a personality disorder" is not at all the same as "being a bad person"

[@m136dalie]

@@dolphinloser6546 The definitions of these personality disorders is that these people do exhibit these problematic behaviours. I don't think it's a coincidence that every person with the EUPD label I've interacted with has been difficult to deal with. Mind you, I'll often find out retrospectively.

[@mattmaco9065]

Maybe if you had an actor play the uncomfortable part who is kind of disconnected from the medical world, and you had maybe moments of pause with voice over to explain why someone is acting a particular way? Idk it’s really hard to tip toe around that. Maybe similar to someone getting triggered by a surgery video

[@janharris8672]

This was going to be my suggestion, too.

[@nicolemascarenhas7973]

Imagine telling a psychiatrist that he is stigmatizing a psychiatric ds. The man literally studies personality and behavior i think hed know what hes talking about. Maximum maybe an education disclaimer May have prevented this but unlikely.

[@MatthewIsFine]

I think you really needed to apply your rule for poking fun and apply it to this video. "I want to make fun of people for things they aren't self conscious about" bc it was too real. I have no relation to that video as a patient or a partner but it still was hard to watch. It felt like the movie Wit. where it was a truly horrifying depiction of a medical condition especially when you didnt really have a resolution in your clip

[@תהילהחזום]

❤❤❤❤

[@diane.]

That video has been your most real and most valuable video (thus far). Thank you for creating it. Because you created it, I will share your videos more with my IRL communities who will appreciate your courage to grow your audience. Sadly, there are many reactive communities on social media. You are not alone in being targeted for sharing your learnings and experiences online. If it helps, I recommend watching Rotten Mango's masterful 1-minute content disclaimers (right after their introduction theme). I'm not saying you need to mimic Rotten Mango, nor am I willing to link Rotten Mango here (to prevent any diversion of pertinent conversation from your videos). But it's obvious what Rotten Mango is doing. You got this Preston!

[@saucyfresh9396]

I don't think the video would've been a problem in a vacuum but tiktok culture has a pattern of stigmatizing cluster B disorders that I feel you reinforced. Cluster B disorders are particularly portrayed as affecting the patient's partners and not the patient themselves, which is unfair because cluster B people often suffer due to their illness AND other disorders can lead to similar harm to relationships but are not stigmatized in the same way. Educational content typically raises awareness around anxiety, schizophrenia, etc by prompting the public to empathize with the person experiencing the illness, meanwhile cluster B awareness usually prompts people to avoid and shun those who have the illness, to understand them as a hazard first and foremost. This is the same attitude that horror movies have towards the mentally ill. I've been in toxic relationships like this before and I understand how important it is to raise awareness of these dynamics, but I don't think it's the place for a medical professional to attach a disorder label. We don't want to reinforce the idea that cluster B disorders are just "bad person disease" because that simply leads to people with those symptoms avoiding diagnosis and treatment.

[@dolphinloser6546]

Exactly this, portraying the video as "an accurate depiction" of interacting with someone with cluster B ignores both the huge differences between each of the separate cluster B disorders and the wide spectrum that each individual disorder exists upon. Autism can cause rage attacks in some, but showing an example of a rage attack as "an accurate depiction of how autistic people get angry" would be both incorrect and harmful.

[@annew1912]

to be honest I think it's the "POV" banner. I saw that and immediately thought it would be funny and when it wasn't, I felt somewhat wronged and on edge. I understand your desire to educate and inform but in a mental health context where diagnoses are always changing (cluster B isn't even recognized as a diagnosis whatsoever in the ICD-11), and where diagnoses are often just stepping-stones to better treatment, is it really necessary to do this? from an educative standpoint yes, but many of your viewers and audience on Tiktok are going to be people with no psychiatric education.

[@thebeatles9]

so the tldr is tiktok sucks youtube good. this isn't new information

[@leslie6569]

Thanks for this. I think this one does veer into icky territory because of the incredible power differential between provider and patient when it comes to a stigmatized disorder or cluster of disorders. The fact is, it’s really hard for people with cluster B traits to get the care they need a lot of time, because so many providers automatically label them as difficult based on the diagnosis alone. I think this overlaps a bit as well with abuse in romantic relationships, and using mental health diagnoses as an excuse… not saying you’re doing that at all, but I think it might explain some of the response. It’s one thing for someone who has a diagnosis to talk about or makes skits about it in a funny way, and I would love to see a clinician who has a stigmatizing diagnosis talk about it openly, but man, this one does feel a bit like punching down. I appreciate you taking everyone’s feedback to heart. Looking forward to your future videos as always.

[@m136dalie]

This is the problem with medicalising personality flaws. If I'm abusive, narcissistic, cruel and vindictive most people would just call me an a$$hole. But then a mental health provider labels me "cluster B" and all of a sudden my behaviours are just a part of my "disorder" and really I just need "help". The truth is there's virtually no evidence that psychotherapy actually works on personality disorder, and we know that no pharmacotherapy is indicated. Really we're just excusing behaviours because of a label we choose to put on a person, when in the past we would have called it what it really is: a bad person with bad behaviours. No amount of psych jargon can change that.

[@ditzyasmr13]

@@m136dalie We should definitely try to help them, lol. They are mentally ill. It is just extremely difficult to treat someone with a cluster b disorder because a lot of the time they struggle to take responsibility for their behavior. and that is symptomatic of their disorder. therapy is ineffective if the person does not really WANT to change. it's not an excuse or a way to feel sorry for anyone. it's just an explanation. anyone with bad behaviors is still a bad person regardless their diagnosis

[@Crows_before_bros]

They attempt to bully providers out of accurately listing the diagnosis as borderline personality disorder also I am so sick of seeing “bipolar and PTSD” for patients who clearly have personality disorders. We don’t cater to anyone else cherry picking what we are allowed to diagnose, and diagnosing people with a mood disorder they don’t have to avoid drama is ridiculous and unprofessional in my opinion

[@mangoandeddie]

Wtf it was such an important video. Maybe put a trigger warning at the start or sth but to stop doing them altogether? Doesn't make sense man. Not that you owe us anything of course

[@JuniperVeinDistension]

I agree that these videos could be a good resource but I also very strongly agree with you that this was not an appropriate platform or presentation. Cluster B disorders are some of the most heavily stigmatized disorders, especially within the healthcare professions. When I see a "POV" video from a psychiatrist about cluster B personalities, I don't think "this is a potentially helpful clinical resource, I think "oh here's another mental health professional who hates people with "bad person disorder."" Having seen the video, this is clearly not what you were trying to do, but I don't think it helps the perception. Possibly controversial but Elsevier (terrible I know) has a great database of clinical videos that are available to people who work and study at subscribing institutions, maybe if you were interested in making videos like this it might be possible to publish them on a platform like that.

[@m136dalie]

There's a valid reason health professionals (and basically everyone else in the general population) have these thoughts about these particular types of people.

[@JuniperVeinDistension]

Oh wow thanks for the helpful comment. Before I wrote it I just kind of assumed that healthcare professionals disliked people with cluster B disorders for no real reason in particular. Now I know that nearly everyone in the general population has a valid reason for doing so! Perhaps you could entertain me with a list of other dubious, broad sweeping generalizations tangentially related to my comment?

[@whyme7011]

Psychiatrist here. My concern is that you are a psychiatrist and you playing that particular role made it difficult to watch. I also felt that patients may self diagnose their partner as having this particular issue when in fact their partner may have a different diagnosis (Mood DO, substance use etc). Stick with the funny (more subintern GI videos please!)❤