I have those things because of the BPD. I have no question about that. I have lived with BPD for over 40 years and all of my thoughts, feelings, and perceptions were and are still being shaped by my BPD. One cannot exist without the other. I am not my diagnosis as many people like to say, but BPD shapes my thinking, influences my decisions, and makes me who I am and I'd be a different person without it. My feelings and emotions are a large part of "me", who I really am, and even though they may be dysfunctional a good part of the time, it's me...it's who I am.

Also, the stuff about the increased intelligence, empathy, and creative ability has been expounded in a number of studies and books as positives of BPD....it's not just from me.