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Scene 4: One Night Stand

Given the opportunistic circumstances stated in the previous scene, Dan and Alex have a sexual evening and, then, an enjoyable night out dancing together. Dan implies that the liaison has reached its end after he escorts Alex to the building where she lives and, at the entrance, inquires about where he can find a cab. Alex nonverbally lets him know that she is not of the same mind as she gently pulls him into the building, then, more aggressively, into the elevator where she locks the elevator door and sexually seduces Dan. When Dan’s is depleted of energy he unlocks the elevator and walks Alex to her apartment door. Dan’s nonverbal communication suggests that he, once again, intends to go his own way. Alex blocks the communication with a sexual gesture and a quick movement into her apartment, nonverbally suggesting that Dan follow, which he does and he spends the night.

This scene begins to provide a piece of evidence for the diagnosis for Borderline Personality Disorder as well as a new clue:

•The piece of evidence is the impulsivity Alex demonstrates by the act of having sex with a man she barely knows. This meets a part of criterion # 4 (APA, 2000, p. 710) which states, “impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).”

•The new clue revealed in this scene may be related to criterion #1, (APA, 2000, p. 710) which states, “frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.” While Alex’s efforts are in no way “frantic,” she has made continuous efforts not to allow Dan to leave. Dan’s compliance, of course, eliminates the need for Alex to make “frantic efforts,” so it is unclear at this point if her efforts are simply “fun loving” or efforts to avoid abandonment.