So I was diagnosed with BPD about 2 years ago now. And I've never really agreed with it. My T says he doesn't agree with it either. At the start of this year I saw a second pdoc for another opinion and he did not see BPD in me either. So I figured it is not me.

I recently had a stay in hospital and was referred to a personality disorder crisis group which I started yesterday. I tried to say over and over that the diagnosis is wrong but no one seemed to listen to me. The T from the group just said to me I was wrong.

So who do I believe?! I keep getting told different things and while it doesn't fully matter I am just getting so confused with it all

[Espresso]

Sorry, that sucks. I would believe the one who knows you best. Have you tried asking the question outright? "Do I have BPD? Why do you think that?" Maybe that way you can get a better idea of what is going on.

Yeah I really need to do that and I wish I could. I need to ask in this group I think. But I am so anxious about talking in a group that I don't know how to speak!

[ifst5]

How were you diagnosed?

In my case i begged my consultant to refer me to a local PD team. I then underwent their ten week assessment and upon meeting the criteria for diagnosis they offered me DBT. From what i've heard recently, it seems that procedures for diagnosis and treatment vary substantially across the UK. All i would say is try and do some further research but be very wary of one or two doctor's opinions - what kind of expertise did they have to be able to make such a decision? How long was it before they decided? It's actually more of a specialty as far as i'm aware so unless you were referred to them specifically to get that diagnosis confirmed, i would be requesting input from a personality disorder team. They were who diagnosed me but whether this is the same practice nationwide i couldn't actually say anymore. What i would say is that psychiatrist's aren't always best placed to determine certain diagnoses, especially if they're not the ones who can potentially provide treatment. It's usually why outside authorities are bought in. I wouldn't pay much attention to the opinion of a therapist if PD's are not their specialty either. From my experience it seems that unless someone's either very experienced and/or has a specialty in whatever condition you have, they can actually be pretty clueless. For now i would focus on something akin to reassessment. If it's the case, find a way to explain that you feel something could be going unacknowledged and might require treatment or that the current understanding of your difficulties needs to be reexamined before your team are better able to help. It's your life at the end of the day and it's their job to make sure they try and do the very best by you. I can only wish you luck

I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist in one session. There was no referral to the PD team, it was all done through her. I researched it but I'd already read about it in the past and I didn't relate. My therapist actually leads a PD group, so not only do I trust him because he knows me better than others, but also because he knows PD's. I see him tomorrow and I really need his opinion more than ever on this. I feel stuck going to this group because I have been given no other options. But I just don't see how this will help

[ifst5]

Well at least your therapist sounds good, i really hope you can talk to him about the group - i know of some of the issues you're having with it from our group and i think it's vital he knows. Maybe ask him questions about the things concerning you and that might lead him to explain and then ask if they're troubling you, simple but effective

Yeah you're right, I'm gonna try my best to talk with him about it all. I just need a break, I hope he listens to me and understands!