Compassion for Annie is a book that describes how mental disorders are lived out in the relationship of Annie and Fred, a fictional couple who are dealing with such challenges as anger, boundaries, codependent behavior, control, dissociation, emptiness, abandonment issues, and identity disturbance. They also live with impulsive behaviors like binge eating, reckless driving, sexual acting out, excessive spending, and substance abuse. Their relationship dynamics include mood disorders, narcissistic behavior, paranoia, projection, self-mutilating behavior, shame, splitting and suicidal behavior.
As we see various episodes in the lives of Annie and Fred, we come to understand how BPD impacts their relationship day-by-day. Annie, a high functioning borderline who lives a normal lifestyle, is a fictitious character created to facilitate the understanding of BPD behavior. To her peers, she appears to be normal most of the time. She shows her dark side only to those she knows very well – like Fred.
Fred is a fictitious character created to interact with Annie to illustrate the unstable relationships of borderline personalities. Because Fred loves Annie, he wants to stay in the marriage and is willing to suffer through their marital storms. He stays the course and tries to respond with compassion, kindness, and love as best he can. He brings security and stability to the relationship.