[musinglizzy]

Is this a good thing? I meet 7 of the 9 criteria for BPD, and it seriously feels like I'm living a prison sentence. I've been seeing a psychologist for 4.5 years (twice a week) and she doesn't "do" labels. She said the stigma attached to BPD is not something she wants to put me through. But I'm not "getting better" either. Is this irresponsible of her? She is retiring from clinical practice soon, and my therapy with her has just made things worse for me. Is she right? Would a diagnosis of BPD hinder me in some way?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by musinglizzy

Is this a good thing? I meet 7 of the 9 criteria for BPD, and it seriously feels like I'm living a prison sentence. I've been seeing a psychologist for 4.5 years (twice a week) and she doesn't "do" labels. She said the stigma attached to BPD is not something she wants to put me through. But I'm not "getting better" either. Is this irresponsible of her? She is retiring from clinical practice soon, and my therapy with her has just made things worse for me. Is she right? Would a diagnosis of BPD hinder me in some way?

my opinion is now its not irresponsible.many doctors, therapists, psychiatrists.... treat their patients "symptoms" rather than focusing on what disorder label they have.

we cant tell you whether having a diagnosis would hinder........you ..........or not. only you and your treatment providers can say that.

what I can say is that therapy isnt all about diagnosis. its about what problems you want to talk about in therapy, its about keeping your medications on track if you are on medication. its more on you than the therapist to learn how to handle your own problems....

example

I have bipolar disorder. even before I received that diagnostic label it was on me to tell my treatment provider I was feeling depressed or I was feeling anxious and heres what I want to do about it.

therapists are not mind readers. they cant help you if you are not ready to help yourself kind of thing...

example I could sit in therapy and complain and complain and expect the therapist to fix me. (this would make my therapist think all I needed was a place to sit and complain, they may ask me for more details but they really dont know what I need help with)

or I can say to the therapist I feel so down that i feel like ......and I dont know what to do. I have tried this and that and that. do you have any more ideas of what I can do? (now therapist knows what my problem is, what I have done to solve the problem and that I am asking for their help and what kind of help I need)

my suggestion is maybe sit down and decide what you need to fix your problems. then decide if this therapist is the one that can help you work on what .........you..........want to do about your problems.

your therapist is retiring soon so right now it wouldnt be the wrong time to say you would like to start seeing someone new can you help me find a new therapist before you retire.

[musinglizzy]

Thank you. I am going above and beyond in trying to help myself and not expecting a therapist to do it for me, I'm just wondering if being diagnosed with this "label" could help me in therapy and in my life. BTW, I am 7 sessions in with a new therapist, so I'm preparing to replace her.

[yellow_fleurs]

It helps to know what you are facing I think, which is why a diagnosis can be useful, and it can help determine the best treatments. But in a sense you could say you do know what you are facing as you know the 7 out of 9 criteria you meet. Those are all things that perhaps you can work on, and it does seem to potentially indicate you have issues with emotional regulation (not trying to give a medical opinion of course).

I wonder, is there something you think having the official diagnosis would help? Like, would it let you feel validated for what is going on? Give you more insight? Maybe these are things you can discuss with your therapist. If they are not helping you maybe you can look for other treatment? Are you already in DBT?

I found receiving an official diagnosis of bipolar helpful. This was primarily because without it I was having a hard time making sense of what was going on and it gave me some power back over my thoughts.

I don't know if it would help or hinder you to have the diagnosis, although sadly there is a lot of stigma related to mental illness in general and particularly personality disorders like BPD. That being said, I have read that may people get better who have BPD which is super encouraging because I am not sure the same can be said of all personality disorders, plus there are proven treatments to help like DBT.

I hope you get the help you need <3

[Ria0331]

I look at knowing for sure that I have BPD as a relief knowing what’s going on. I don’t see it being a hinder. In my opinion I think knowing helps in your recovery journey. I understand the view of no “labels” and again in my personal opinion i feel knowledge is gold and once you know the illness you can learn more and grow in your recovery journey.

I dont understand not diagnosing. An orange is an orange whether you call it that or not. Yes BPD is stigmatized, but in my experience that has not affected me beyond me going into therapy and talking about what people say about BPD.

For me getting my diagnoses validated what was going on in my head and my feelings.

[marvin_pa]

A formal diagnosis can be a bit of a double-edged sword - on one hand & as others have noted, it does give you a real sense of validation and allows you the space for recovery/maintenance instead of thinking oneself a screwed-up mess... but on the other, it can be counter-productive to focus too much on labels & also, my own analysis of what my symptoms may represent in terms of diagnosis/treatment have tended to evolve over time as I get a better idea of what things seem to help me function better - which puts me in a better place to discuss where my treatment goes forward.

I think that discussion part is key - my treatment is the result of both my input & that of my pdoc. In general, I respect the professional knowledge that I'm given, but I also want to understand & agree with whatever treatments are suggested and the reasoning behind that course of action.

[Fuzzybear]

I’m not sure.. sometimes I think people without a “diagnosis” behave in more impulsive and ****ed up ways that those with a bpd “diagnosis”

[mogwai]

Where I live psychologists can't diagnose, only psychiatrists do. So I don't know if that's part of it.

The stigma of a BPD diagnosis might hinder you in some ways, but maybe also get you access to more treatment. Some therapists don't want to take on BPD patients. Saddling a patient with the BPD label might even have detrimental effects to the person themselves because of the stigma and weight of the label. Ask if you she can give you treatment for BPD like DBT focused therapy without an official diagnosis. There may be group therapies or other resources where you need a diagnosis to access it, so if that's something you need then maybe it is worth seeking out. If the diagnosis is really not going to provide any practical use or significant emotional benefit, it's probably better to work on the specific traits in therapy. You at least need a therapist who is going to acknowledge that you share similar struggles as people with BPD, and say let's work on your abandonment fears or impulsive behaviour, etc.

[librarybelle]

Just thought I'd add my experiences here . . .

I have BPD and am diagnosed, but not . . . formally. I do have a formal OCD diagnosis, though. My therapist and psychiatrist know I have BPD, but didn't want to label me due to the stigma associated. I also don't have all of the traits, though certainly enough to be diagnosed. We work on managing specific traits with therapy and meds, like the severe anxiety and emotional dysregulation, and it works out pretty well.

I will say that knowing the diagnosis was helpful because it helped me make sense of what was happening to me, why I was having the reactions I was having, etc. I was one of those people who had the diagnosis missed by therapists and psychiatrists for years, so finally knowing the name was validating to me and made me feel more like I would be able to cope/learn about the disorder.

I think how you feel about having the label is a very personal thing, and I would absolutely talk more with your new therapist about how you're feeling/your thought process. Remember, though, you are much more than the label. Keep us updated on how this process is going.

[AzulOscuro]

Originally Posted by musinglizzy

Is this a good thing? I meet 7 of the 9 criteria for BPD, and it seriously feels like I'm living a prison sentence. I've been seeing a psychologist for 4.5 years (twice a week) and she doesn't "do" labels. She said the stigma attached to BPD is not something she wants to put me through. But I'm not "getting better" either. Is this irresponsible of her? She is retiring from clinical practice soon, and my therapy with her has just made things worse for me. Is she right? Would a diagnosis of BPD hinder me in some way?

I think that if she is a clinic psychologist, she can make diagnoses. And I guess the ultimate choice is on you. You have the tight to get a diagnosis if you need it.
Said that, when you said that you feel like having a prison sentence, your therapist might notice it will be worse for you to get the diagnoses, just right night.
I would tell you, think about what think is more suitable for you at this moment.

BPD doesn’t have to be a fatal fate. Much more now that modern and proven effective therapies are being applied.
In my opinion, it can help you to understand a part of yourself better.
A part, because you are much more.

[AzulOscuro]

Originally Posted by Fuzzybear

I’m not sure.. sometimes I think people without a “diagnosis” behave in more impulsive and ****ed up ways that those with a bpd “diagnosis”

Very well said!!! :-)

[Lemoncake]

My T didn't tell me I was borderline for 9 months until I brought up the diagnosis of Major depression by another psychiatrist I saw. Therapy has literally been the hardest thing that I've done, but it's only now close to two years that I can see the benefits.