[HALLIEBETH87]

Ive had the bipolar dx since 2008 and I think there are clear marked times of mania and of course depression but I recently saw in notes from when I was 17 that they say I had traits of BPD and have since had the diagnosis of both BP and BPD. I have fought and fought the BPD dx because it makes me feel defected to think I have a personality disorder.

The more I read about it though, it makes sense. I knew I hadtraits but I have a lot of them-more than I realized. So now Im wondering if I have both or maybe I just have BPD.

Im so confused. I shouldn't have gone reading into it tonight.

My most recent pdoc said I have both plus PTSD (which I know is legit.)

[~Christina]

Wait til the BP is better and your more stable then you can investigate the bpd stuff. Hard to figure stuff out in the middle of a shyt storm !

[jules77]

sounds totally similar to my experience.
a couple years after my MI symptoms (turned out to be BP1) started showing, all the docs, etc started saying BPD traits were there too.
then I find out that almost 2 years ago I had been diagnosed with BPD as well upon an inpatient discharge, and my psychiatrist I had this past year agrees.
however, my therapist, just a few days ago, told me that she does NOT believe I have borderline. she says that therapists have this kind of knowledge with each other that they can just tell if a client has BPD from the way they act in session, and I'm not that way at ALL.
seems to be BP and BPD overlap sometimes, especially with women & young adult women like myself. annoying, i dislike the idea of bpd and i disagree with a lot of the traits cause i have good relationships and I'm not incredibly impulsive.
I think it truly matters only for insurance coding and treatment options. meds have worked, as has DBT, but DBT began prior to BPD traits on my charts.
it's frustrating, but I agree with above poster, work on the biggest issues first, then do some searching and researching to see what makes sense.

EDIT: I'll add that i think DBT can work for ANYBODY. you don't have to have had mental health issues for it to be helpful. BPD's not a requirement.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I have had several rocky relationships...Ive lost at least 5 friends in the last few years because of how I acted/my issues. I got the BPD dx at a hospital discharge too. I am a young adult woman too. When I talked to my T about it yesterday she just said she wants to go over it with the DSM next week when I see her. I told her my last pdoc before coming to the clinic took the BPD dx off bc she said it was rapid cycling which I have also been told I have. I do cycle a lot but I wonder if it is all bp cycling or if it could be BPD moo shifts involved too. It would explain why I have mood swings for just a couple days then switch (and these aren't normal mood swings. I know the difference. I know not all shifts are bp related.)

I am currently in a DBT group. I was doing well with it but have lost interest. We are only on emotional regulation now. I need to start looking through my binder and restudying/practicing it.I agree DBT can help anyone deal with issues in life. That's why theyre teaching mindfulness in grade schools in the US now. It was in the paper today.

I don't let my dxs define me. I simply just want to know everything that is affecting me so I can learnto get past it and to understand myself better. if I can understand myself and my issues better than it helps me to be more patient with myself and recovery.

[Mountainbard]

I can't say whether you have both BP and BPD, but please don't feel defective if you do have a personality disorder. You didn't choose it. You are a worthy, worthwhile, and unique human being.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Thanks so much.

My last T told me it was complex trauma caused by my childhood abuse which also I s the source of my ptsd.

[The_little_didgee]

BPD seems to be a common diagnosis in the hospital setting. I think a lot of it has to do with how a patient presents to the service. If the crisis is triggered by an interpersonal problem and involves some kind of self-injury that person will most likely get the diagnosis. It isn't the best place to get a PD diagnosis since clinicians don't get much of a chance to know the patient. Long term therapy is the best place to explore BPD and diagnose it.

Bipolar disorder affects moods. BPD affects emotions. There is a difference in what triggers the two disorders. BPD is reactive.

There is no such thing as removing diagnoses from records (they are legal documents) at least here in Canada. Usually clinicians will specify if the patient remission or not.

I was misdiagnosed with BPD when I was 16. Years later I explored the diagnosis and determined how I got. I read a lot about it, mostly clinical literature and research papers. I've even asked a few clinicians about it. It really helped me understand what happened.

How has medication affected you? Sometimes certain types of medication can cause psychiatric symptoms that resemble personality disorder.

Getting a proper diagnosis makes a profound difference, so it is worth exploring your illness.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

BPD seems to be a common diagnosis in the hospital setting. I think a lot of it has to do with how a patient presents to the service. If the crisis is triggered by an interpersonal problem and involves some kind of self-injury that person will most likely get the diagnosis. It isn't the best place to get a PD diagnosis since clinicians don't get much of a chance to know the patient. Long term therapy is the best place to explore BPD and diagnose it.

Bipolar disorder affects moods. BPD affects emotions. There is a difference in what triggers the two disorders. BPD is reactive.

There is no such thing as removing diagnoses from records (they are legal documents) at least here in Canada. Usually clinicians will specify if the patient remission or not.

I was misdiagnosed with BPD when I was 16. Years later I explored the diagnosis and determined how I got. I read a lot about it, mostly clinical literature and research papers. I've even asked a few clinicians about it. It really helped me understand what happened.

How has medication affected you? Sometimes certain types of medication can cause psychiatric symptoms that resemble personality disorder.

Getting a proper diagnosis makes a profound difference, so it is worth exploring your illness.

I have been on psych meds off and on since I was 17 when my mom took me to a t and pdoc for depression/self-harm. The last three years has been so chaotic and insane for me. Ive been in and out of the hospital 8 times and in er twice for OD. I cycle a lot and quickly. The depression tends to stick around the longest. I still struggle with self-harm sometimes but its not as bad. Even when I am feeling pretty good like lately, I still have mood shifts throughout the day like suddenly going off/irritability for something dumb that doesn't warrant anger and I later feel bad about it.

Im not sure about all this. Im guessing their gonna keep the dx on my records anyway so Ill just forget about it.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

I had BPD and PTSD added to my list about a year ago. Don't feel bad about it. CBT is good for BPD. As far as my traits, I just try to be more self aware so that they don't come out as much. It's hard work like any MI. You're going to be working on it your whole life. I do a lot of reading online to better understand myself and it's helped a lot. Or I just ask my pdoc if I have concerns.

Dx: BP2, PTSD, bulimia/anorexia
Risperdal 4mg
Trileptal 300mgs
Buspar 45mgs
Ativan 1mg PRN
Vyvance 70mgs PRN