Subjects in this study consisted of 118 battered women, all but 12 in currently abusive situations. The women were requested to take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The traits measured for currently battered women on the MMPI were reactive states, not character traits. This shows how battered women are frequently misdiagnosed as borderline personality disorders. Repeatedly, professionals fail to distinguish the symptoms of victims of violence from the symptoms of the sufferers of mental illness. Incorrect diagnosis may lead to the question of whether any diagnosis ought to be used at all. Treating the source of the problem, not merely the symptoms, is advocated, especially when domestic violence research is criticized for patriarchal bias and victim blaming. 1 note, 1 table, and 34 references.