Other Personality disorder or ptsd?

[dust]

Kat,

I agree - I wonder what use the diagnosis of a BPD is? If you start looking around you could pathologise nearly everyone. I think diagnosing is much more common in the US where you have medical insurance issues (is BPD treatable on health insurance?) Here, therapists tend not to diagnose.

We are all human and our complexities sometimes make us more so.

dust

 

[cmtherese]

re all just people. None of us is perfect. There are no perfect families so we are all screwed up at least a little - some more

You know, I studied abnormal psych in nursing school and I thought I had all the answers, but then I delved into metaphysics and found I didn't even have the questions.

BPD, Bi-Polar, Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive disorder, PTSD....the insurance companies need codes and names to get the docs paid.

We are all just people. None of us is perfect. There are no perfect families so we are all screwed up at least a little - some more than others. Don't get caught up in the words or the label the docs are giving you. Do the things your therapists ask of you and forget about the diagnostic code. We are are souls on a journey.

Kat

"i didn't even have the questions." Of everything I've read, that resonated the most. A family member is being labeled "sociopath:" she is depressed and others feel she may have PTSD. She's done a lot of foolish/ dangerous/ illegal things. But if one calls her a "sociopath" then one can simply wash one's hands. . . right? cmtherese

 

[Maggiemay]

This whole debate annoys me so much!! Professionals are incredibly judgmental towards people with BPD, I hate it! :(

I was 1st diagnosed with BPD 10yrs ago. I was an angry, self hating machine that hated myself and self harmed a lot. I think anyone that self harms gets given the BPD diagnosis without listening. I went through an intensive daily group therapy programme for 18 months (therapeutic community) which helped a lot. But, I re-ran into problems 2 yrs ago. Although I did start self harming again, I wanted to live and my main issues were around anxiety. I ended up in flashback and hyper vigilance hell, having to take time off work (4 months ). This time around, T listened & diagnosed complex PTSD which fits a lot better - I have gone through all forms of abuse between ages of 2 & 18... :( Psych agreed with diagnosis when I saw him, but sadly still also BPD label and all the prejudice that goes with it... :( Urg!!!

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I think anyone that self harms gets given the BPD diagnosis without listening.

Yup, yup, yup! ALL of us in the self injury program were slapped with this diagnosis. Funny, cuz I think we were all abused, but I didn't see the typical borderline behavior in most of us.

I just looked at the borderline criteria. To an untrained person, or even a bad therapist, many of those with PTSD, even those traumatized as adults, could fall under this diagnosis. I mean if you've harmed yourself, have anger issues, feel empty (depression, anyone?), and have mood reactivity, well that's 4 out of the minimum 5 criteria required for a borderline diagnosis! I honestly think it's OVER diagnosed. I've met people who have true personality disorders and I've met those who have been slapped with the diagnosis because the symptoms "seem" to fit. Really, it's like night and day.