I think I have BPD

"Until now I actually thought it was PTSD because apparently BPD it the female version of PTSD"

Where did you see that? I have never seen that, they can have similar causes (and can overlap) but I have never seen reputable sources claim they are the same condition or gender specific.

This UK PTSD support site talks about the differences - https://www.ptsduk.org/ptsd-and-bpd/

To get a diagnosis you will need to find a psychiatrist, maybe search for one who does talk therapies too, not just drugs.. Or one that works with a psychologist, so you can talk about things with the psychologist and have the psychiatrist for backup and maybe diagnosis in the future?

Have you ever tried a psychologist or psychotherapist just to talk about the things you struggle with and develop strategies to deal with them?

Hey @Plant0wan ,

Thank you for sharing your concerns in your post.

Have you spoken to a GP or professional about what you have been experiencing?

Also, to clarify, when you mentioned BPD, do you mean borderline personality disorder, or bipolar? (Only because these can often be mixed up).

I'm not sure if what you are experiencing aligns with BPD. It's best to speak to a professional.

Thank you for clarifying @Plant0wan .

I hope you get some answers soon.

Feel free to visit:

Topic Tuesday// Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Week 2022: 'See The Person'// Tues 27th September 2022 7-8:30PM AEST

Raising Awareness of BPD - Flipping the Script

You may gain some insight into BPD.

Hi @Plant0wan ,

I’ve lived when BPD my entire adult life. I’m confused about what you have posted because it doesn’t sound like BPD at all.

Was this diagnosis from a psychiatrist?

BPD develops very slowly. It affects interpersonal relationships which results from emotional dysregulation.

Ive been in BPD-specific therapy over a number of years. This includes pschotherapy as opposed to medication. Medication supports co-occurring conditions, but has shown to be of little affect on BPD itself.

I think it’s a good idea to talk to your GP/therapist/psychiatrist about what you are experiencing so that you can perhaps get more targeted support for your mental health needs.

Please take care.

By the way @Bipolarcarer , I absolutely support your post and agree wholeheartedly.

Hi @Plant0wan ,

The onset of your illness seems very sudden, I agree with @BPDSurvivor , mental illnesses usually take a while to develop and can be caused by many different factors. Your description of the Christmas gathering would have been stressful as I'm sure the people there meant no harm. Feeling left out and conspired against is definitely a symptom of BPD, have you tried talking to the people involved? If you felt fine before can you talk to some of your friends about what you are experiencing? You could also talk to a mental health professional and get some professional advice, self diagnosis is a good start but should only be used as a guide.

Hi @Plant0wan

I am a female with cPTSD and don't agree at all that bpd is the female version of BPD. Men can have BPD and females can have cPTSD.

I agree with @Bipolarcarer @BPDSurvivor

BPD is a personality disorder and there are specific treatments for personality disorders and specialists who treat it...that said...the psychosis you describe and the feelings of people being out to get you..I could be wrong but that is not related to BPD. BPD is a complex thing and I think needs to get diagnosed sensitively and in detail by someone exoerienced in the field. Sometimes I think clibicans give the diagnosis because they don't take the time to get to know the person and look at what's going on for them. Being distressed or sad or vulnerable doesn't mean bpd.

I also disagree with the other poster who said that feeling left out or conspired against are symptoms of bpd. I don't think these are symptoms of bpd. They are just feelings and diagnosing a personality disorder is a complex process as many traumatised people have symptoms similar to what you're describing.

From what I know, your experiences don't sound like BPD... I'm wondering whether you've experienced psychotic symptoms but you're looking for a non psychotic diagnosis? I get that delusions can be disconcerting and there may be a lot of other stuff going on in your life you haven't mentioned. I'd suggest getting a mental health care plan and talking through your experiences with a psychologist who can take the time to help you sort out what's going on. I know personally I want someone outside myself to help me sort things through, especially when it comes to figuring out diagnosis. You could ask them to go through the DSM-5TR with you to help you understand why they think you've got whatever diagnosis they think is relevant... That's what my daughter's psychiatrist did with her. They could explain why they do or don't think bpd is relevant to you, or why another diagnosis is a better fit.

My thoughts... If you did have delusions, the important thing is to manage your symptoms so they have minimal impact on your life, which is very possible. I've experienced delusions in the past, which was disconcerting, and I take medication, and for me antipsychotics are a very effective way of ensuring that it doesn't happen again... I've now been stable for years. But working in collaboration with a psychiatrist was crucial to getting to a point where my psychiatric illness doesn't impact my life. I'd encourage you to work with a psychologist if not psychiatrist (I know they're hard to access) to help you maximize your well-being.