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Old Nov 11, 2015, 12:31 PM
CopperStar CopperStar is offline
Poohbah
 
Member Since: Apr 2014
Location: US
Posts: 1,484
I have no idea about your own personal situation, but I do think it's possible to have traits of multiple PDs, some overlap with varying severity among the traits. PDs are developed early in life, typically start off as coping mechanisms, and there can be a lot of variables in our childhood situations. It wouldn't make sense for everyone with a PD to pop out with a cookie-cutter criteria checklist fitting perfectly with a given PD. Those cases do exist, but not for everyone. Many people pop out with a combination of unhealthy coping mechanisms that could fit into multiple categories. Humans are too complex by far for everyone with dysfunctions to fit just perfectly into one label.

I personally used to refer to myself as a "PD cluster****" or joke that my diagnosis was the DSM. Another way I used to try to describe it was being a mental illness "cake" with several layers. By this point in my life, I can recognize in myself (during spans of clarity) traits of PTSD, BPD, NPD and Avoidant, with a little Schizoid cherry on top. I believe that depending on which mechanisms are most active at any given time, would determine the likely diagnosis if I were analyzed then-and-there.

A lot of professionals simply never truly understand personality disorders, their mentality is a purely academic approach of memorizing symptom/behavior lists and playing match-the-symptoms with their trusty DSM. But without that deeper understanding of how PDs are developed, many lack a a furthermore understanding that it can all be very complex and that the stereotypes are frequently blown out of the water.
Thanks for this!
PixieRN