intimate partner violence

Haunted Identities | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Haunted Identities | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Individuals with Cluster B personality disorders—including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD), and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)—are overrepresented among stalkers and harassers of former partners. A subset of these individuals not only persist in intrusive behaviors but also engage in mimetic identity disturbance: adopting the style, appearance, and behaviors of their ex-partner’s new romantic interest. Beyond this, some attempt to reshape their new romantic partner into a facsimile of their ex, recreating lost dynamics. These behaviors reflect profound identity diffusion, unstable attachment, and neurobiological dysregulation in frontolimbic, dopaminergic, and mirror-neuron systems. Victims of such dynamics often experience trauma, identity violation, and boundary collapse. This paper integrates neuroscience, clinical psychology, and forensic evidence to analyze the dual dynamics of mimicry and partner re-creation, and outlines therapeutic and legal responses.

Cuffing Season, Cluster B Personality Dynamics, and the Predatory Risks to Mental Health | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Cuffing Season, Cluster B Personality Dynamics, and the Predatory Risks to Mental Health | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Cuffing season—the tendency for individuals to seek romantic partnerships during colder months—has been trivialized as a cultural quirk. However, for survivors of toxic relationships, this period represents a heightened risk of re-engagement with manipulative partners, particularly those with Cluster B personality traits (narcissistic, borderline, histrionic, and antisocial). This paper explores the neurobiological and psychological vulnerabilities that emerge during cuffing season, outlines the predatory behaviors characteristic of Cluster B individuals, and analyzes why no-contact boundaries are essential for preventing cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological harm. By synthesizing findings from neuroscience and psychopathology, the paper reframes cuffing season as a psychologically hazardous cycle rather than a harmless social phenomenon.