Borderline Personality Disorder...?

[missyannlala]

I know that this is way off topic, but I wondered if anyone on here has been professionally diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, aka, BPD?

I fear the worst when I think of this, I'm honestly sure that I have it, or some mood disorder.

If anyone knows about BPD, and can give me examples of it's affects, I'd appreciate it very much!

[bleachededen]

If you really want to know for yourself, I believe the DSM-IV (the bible of psychiatric disorders) is available online, if not, there are many forums out there for support for mental disorders.

However, the best thing you can do is to see a psychiatrist or therapist and talk to them about it. There is nothing more dangerous than a self-diagnosis. If all you do is read the DSM definition of any disorder, you can convince yourself you have it, when in fact you may not. If you see someone professionally, you may find you do have it, and if you do, they will be able to direct you to the proper treatment. But you also may not have it, and they can also help there, and trust me, you're much better off without it. Instead of trying to diagnose yourself and then try to self treat or make assumptions about yourself that you can't back up, I would sincerely urge you to seek a professional, and I mean that in the kindest of ways, because, speaking from experience, you don't want to toy with a mental disorder of any kind. It is always better to have people that know what they're talking about there to help you out.

BPD is not pretty, and you don't want it, and I certainly hope you don't have it, but if you do, counseling and possibly medicinal therapy will be the best route. I wish you the best of luck and health. <3

[missyannlala]

Thank you for being so kind and thorough. I mean whatever I have, all I know is that I have a strong tendencies for mood swings.

And, I am sort of hindered when it comes to seeking professional help. So, I've been getting through the days as best I can, trying to ignore it, and look past it, thinking that in the end, don't i want to be able to do it on my own, without the negative energy or the pills...etc.

[DWill]

I have some work-related exposure to that disorder (but beware the experts). I'd say that one promising sign is your insight that you have a problem with your moods. From those I've known with the BPD diagnosis, insight of this kind would not be that common. A mood disorder and BPD are also very different, and any mood disorder I would think would be a more favorable diagnosis than a personality disorder.

[caseyjo]

However, the best thing you can do is to see a psychiatrist or therapist and talk to them about it. There is nothing more dangerous than a self-diagnosis. If all you do is read the DSM definition of any disorder, you can convince yourself you have it, when in fact you may not. If you see someone professionally, you may find you do have it, and if you do, they will be able to direct you to the proper treatment. But you also may not have it, and they can also help there, and trust me, you're much better off without it. Instead of trying to diagnose yourself and then try to self treat or make assumptions about yourself that you can't back up, I would sincerely urge you to seek a professional, and I mean that in the kindest of ways, because, speaking from experience, you don't want to toy with a mental disorder of any kind. It is always better to have people that know what they're talking about there to help you out.

Totally agreed. There is such a thing as Medical Students' Disease in which people learn about diseases and decide that they have them. Apparently is this quite prevalent in clinical psychology students, or so I heard from my college psychopathology professor.

Regardless, it definitely seems like a good idea to talk to a professional. They are the ones that know best, and can give you much more information than we can. Mental disorders are as serious as any other medical disorder, and should be addressed as soon as you think there might be a problem.

[missyannlala]

I have some work-related exposure to that disorder (but beware the experts). I'd say that one promising sign is your insight that you have a problem with your moods. From those I've known with the BPD diagnosis, insight of this kind would not be that common. A mood disorder and BPD are also very different, and any mood disorder I would think would be a more favorable diagnosis than a personality disorder.

I like your response, it's heartwarming, and it seems to be coming from you. Instead of giving me definitions or telling me to seek a professional, this is what makes me keep on going; keep on looking for people who can just tell it like it is..not how it seems..

thanks.

[bleachededen]

I like your response, it's heartwarming, and it seems to be coming from you. Instead of giving me definitions or telling me to seek a professional, this is what makes me keep on going; keep on looking for people who can just tell it like it is..not how it seems..

thanks.

I don't want you to think that I'm shrugging off your request for help by trying to send you off to a "professional." I understand the reluctance to ask for medical assistance, as I have the same reluctance myself. But the advice is no less heartwarming. I am not going to sit here in front a computer miles away without knowing anything about you and tell you what to do about having a possible mood or personality disorder. That's ridiculous and unhelpful, more than unhelpful, it is dangerous.

When I tell you not to diagnose yourself it is because you know you, you know how you feel, but you don't know why you feel this way. Any number of disorders contain similar symptoms so you could convince yourself that you have any of them, and since you have no way of really knowing whether or not you do, your treatment would not correctly fix your symptoms. Only someone who is objective and yet knowledgable on the subject can, by getting to know you and your symptoms, decide what you may or may not have and treat you accordingly.

I am truly sorry if I sound condescending or patronizing, but mental disorders are nothing to scoff at and nothing to play around with. If you really feel that something is wrong enough to affect your life, then you need to seek medical attention so that you can be treated before what you are experiencing gets worse. If you were having chronic pain, you'd go to a doctor, yes? It's the same with psychiatric help, although I do understand the fear in seeking help in that regard.

I tell you this because I have experienced it, over and over again. Years ago, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (a mood disorder), with borderline personality disorder traits. This means that I fit most of the criteria for BPD, but not enough to be diagnosed with a full-blown personality disorder. I take medications for the mood disorder twice a day, I see a therapist and a psychiatrist regularly, and everyone who is close enough to know me knows what I have and what I go through. I am the happiest I have been since before adolescence, when my symptoms began to set in, and it is only because doctors have finally found the cause of the symptoms and are treating it. I spent many years without treatment, even when I knew the diagnosis, and I will not go into details, but my life was a living hell. This isn't the place for my sob story, I don't want any extra attention or special credit paid, but I am telling you this because I want you to understand that I know what it is like, and it is not something to take lightly, and that if you even think you are having a problem you should find someone who will know how to help you. I don't want to see anyone go through all the bad things I've gone through or seen other people go through. Asking you to seek help is only to help you, nothing more.

I wish you the best of luck, and look forward to continue to see you in the discussions here.

btw: If you want a good support forum for anything concerning mental health, try here: http://gabrielle.self-injury.net. These are caring people going through their own mental issues, and it is moderated only by the site creator and long-standing members; no doctors or anything like that. I know you'd be welcomed there and I think you'd like some of the people you'd meet. It's also international, so there's pretty much someone online at any given time of day. Good luck.

[missyannlala]

Bleachededen... I am very grateful for your reply. It was more than I expected and it was what I needed to hear. I mean this in the best way possible, but the fact that you do have a mood disorder makes me respect your opinion more and kinda see where you're coming from.

I'm very glad that i decided to post this, it's nice to have support, even if it's from someone I've never met, and dont really know. Makes me feel like there's really life out there.

[bleachededen]

There's always someone, you just have to know where to look.

[DWill]

Missyannlala's query brings to mind the upcoming revision of DSM, which I guess will be called DSM V. George Will, the conservative (but generally good guy) columnist had a piece about it in the Washington Post yesterday. His take, pretty much in keeping with a conservative view, is that medicalizing character traits that we think divert from the norm is a bad idea, and this is what he says the DSM has been doing since its inception. His point is well taken by one measure: the DSM started out as a fairly slim manual and now is a large tome. But modern times couldn't have produced that many new disorders.

Activists within the mental health movement are often themselves anti-DSM. They resent so much labeling. There is still quite a bit of suspicion about the true motives of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.