The extended mind and borderline personality disorder.
Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists February 1, 2008 Amanda Bray
Extended mind theory proposes that external objects like notebooks and computers can be part of a person's mind, not just tools. This paper applies the theory to borderline personality disorder (BPD), arguing that people with BPD, who have deficits in affect regulation and impulse control, incorporate the brains of close others to supplement their own cognitive processes. Such incorporation requires constant proximity and intimate informational bonds, which explains the intense panic and despair at abandonment—losing that person means literally losing part of one's mind. The paper also considers applying extended mind theory to other psychiatric conditions.