Quote:
Originally Posted by iScottM
Hi -
About 4 months ago I stopped seeing the Psychiatrist I had been going to when she referred me to someone who specializes in trauma recovery (I was r**d by a step-father and neglected by my mother). I had been seeing this Psychiatrist on and off for about two years.
About two weeks ago I started reading about BPD and noticed some of the symptoms fit me so I asked my therapist (the trauma specialist) via email if I have BPD. He said "if you think that borderline is right for you then I won't object." I started reading up on it more and lot of pieces fit in terms of how I react to people (always find it hard to get along, people are either good/evil, etc...).
But I don't have intense relationships, I'm not emotional, I don't rage or scream or injure myself. My therapist said that those symptoms are not the "core" of BPD. The "core", he said was my responses to the inner turmoil.
So, I happened to be back at my Psychiatrist today to get a refill on my Clonex and asked her about this. And she said I don't have BPD, I have DID(!). She said nothing presented indicated BPD and she cited the same things I mentioned (no raging, no chaotic relationships, etc..).
She said I have severe dissociation and even though I don't amnesia between 'alters', just amnesia from my childhood (I have large gaps). She said unlike people with BPD, I simply get 'triggered' into dissociation. When I read the DSM 5 criteria it fits me to a tee. But so do some borderline traits as well. And even my therapist said I have severe dissociation, but he seems to think it is part of BPD.
I saw this Psychiatrist for a few years and the therapist for the last 4 months. I like the therapist - I am making progress and feeling better, etc... Im just really confused about the diagnosis.
I'm not asking anyone for a diagnosis. I know I meet all 5 of the criteria for DID, but only some for BPD. I have an appointment with my therapist tomorrow and will speak to him. I'm just wondering if others have been diagnosed with BPD rather than DID or vice versa?
Again, I'm just really curious to know if others have been in this situation regarding diagnosis.
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in general there are many diagnosis's that carry the same symptoms which results in people getting many different diagnosis and sometimes getting confused when there are shared symptoms.
with dissociative disorders (and most others in the DSM 5) the criteria is now worded that the problem can not better fit another disorder. this allows treatment providers to look closer at the symptoms and decide whether those symptoms are better explained by a different diagnosis before slapping the label on someone.
I have in yrs past been diagnosed with other disorders and dissociative disorders due to the fact of shared symptoms of the diagnostics. I also know many that have been diagnosed with things like depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar and BPD before they were diagnosed with a dissociative disorder. I also know many who's diagnosis has changed from another diagnosis to a dissociative disorder and vice versa from a dissociative disorder to a different diagnosis since the DSM 5.