[amarie313]

Hello, I am an 18 year old and am a senior in highschool. I’ve been having major issues in the past year considering depression, paranoia, and self harm/suicidal tendencies. I’m on medication for depression and anxiety, but neither help. Today, I was curious and I took multiple quizzes for BPD. I got the same result on every single one, which was a full score. Of course, quizzes aren’t always correct and shouldn’t be used as a way to self diagnose, but the way i feel and agreed with every question just makes a lot of sense. My parents and therapist think I’m totally fine because I lie a ton about the way I feel, so I’m not entirely sure that I can bring myself to speak up. I need some advice on how I can be able to talk to my therapist about this, thank you if you read this!

[Skeezyks]

Hello amarie: I don't know as I have any particular suggestions with regard to how to talk with your therapist about the possibility of your having BPD. However I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

I've never been diagnosed as having BPD myself. However I once read the book: Lost in the Mirror by Richard Maskovitz. And based on what I read there, I thought it was possible I might have been diagnosed as having had it when I was young. (I'm an older person now. And I've been told BPD tends to "burn itself out" as one ages.) Anyway... what I did was to take the book in to my appointment with the therapist I was seeing at the time so I could use it as a starting point for discussion. Perhaps you could do something similar? You might also make a list of the ways in which you feel you "fit" the criteria for BPD.

Another idea, if broaching this subject just feels too difficult for you, would be to write a letter. Then, perhaps drop the letter off prior to your next appointment so that your T has an opportunity to read it ahead of time. Yet a third possibility might be for the two of you to watch a video on BPD together. Two options for this might include family therapist Kati Morton's videos on BPD & quiet BPD. Here are links to these 2 videos:

Anyway... these are the types of things that occur to me. Perhaps other members will have other suggestions. My best wishes to you...

[PsychoPhil]

Your therapist might help with a referral for a diagnostic assessment. What you describe sounds like it could well be BPD. But did you consider differential diagnoses, like other personality disorders, autism spectrum, ADHD, bipolar, possibly others, which all have some traits in common?

[amarie313]

Originally Posted by PsychoPhil

Your therapist might help with a referral for a diagnostic assessment. What you describe sounds like it could well be BPD. But did you consider differential diagnoses, like other personality disorders, autism spectrum, ADHD, bipolar, possibly others, which all have some traits in common?

I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, although my ADHD has only given me issues with focusing, and being organized. The issues I’ve been having that gave me the idea that I have BPD are symptoms that popped up just these past two years, and were never there before.