BPD Awareness Week 1-7 Oct 2025 1:10 Uniting for Change

@tyme @Shaz51 @TunedIn @Eden1919 @Till23

I have been diagnosed with BPD as well as Bipolar Disorder.

I think it was because I was self harming back in the day.

I am not sure if this diagnosis is still on my file.

With the self harm I was seeing if I was brave enough to suicide.

Turns out I wasn't.

I did something different when I tried.

So glad I failed and am still here to tell the story.

Hi @tyme @Oaktree it is interesting that people seem to be getting BPD diagnoses fairly easily and quickly.

Whereas it should take some time to actually get the diagnosis, it cannot be made on a single session with a psychiatrist.

I am therefore wondering whether the term is being misused by people when a true diagnosis has not been made. Kind of being used as a catch-all for "difficult patients".

This is of course further stigmatising.

The number one underlying condition for suicide is actually depression. It seems BPD may be being used for those who self-harm - whereas there are many reasons for SH.

There are cross-over symptoms for many MH conditions so the whole person's, whole history needs to be explored.

Thankfully people are now more aware of effects of trauma and especially early life trauma.

@Till23 my experience with getting diagnosed was that is was based purely on the self harm and suicidal thoughts i met none of the other criteria but just because i was self harming which turned out to be for other reasons i was diagnosed and the dr who kept pushing that label on me didnt speak to my private professionals and i hadnt even said a word to him and he saw that i self harmed and immediately said you have BPD didnt ask any questions and from then on i was stuck with the label there was no history taken and anyway its a long story but basically nobody listened to me and just made a bunch of wrong assumptions. but BPD should be diagnosed way more carefully because it is a specific condition requiring specific treatment.

@Eden1919 I am sorry that happened to you.

There are quite a few criteria for true diagnosis, so I'm not sure what happened in your case, but sorry you had to endure the consequences of the label. Sorry that it (sounds like) took some time to change that label. I hope things are better for you now

@Till23 Agree about the quick BPD diagnosis. I was sent to a psychiatrist who specialises in personality disorders and within 5 minutes he diagnosed me with BPD, and the diagnosis never really made sense to my experience at all. After a long few years, I now have a diagnosis that resonates much more for me (C-PTSD and DID), and am getting the trauma treatment I need instead of just continuous DBT skills that are helpful for emotion dysregulation but doesn't look at the source of the dysregulation.

Hi @balance37 I hope you are well.

There has of course been an evolution in diagnosis over the years and probably more accelerated in last few years.

I was diagnosed with major depression in early1990s, mostly because PTSD was a newish diagnosis and it was only given to military people.

I then just got on with life and didn't really seek treatment for years. Although I was on antidepressants for a lot of that time. Had a couple of short psychiatry stints when perpetrator of abuse died.

In last few years I have sought treatment and was given a diagnosis of PTSD and then cPTSD (dissociative subtype). I questioned my psychologist on BPD diagnosis and they were great with explanation about why I did not fit BPD criteria.

So I have been lucky, being "under the radar" a lot of the time. Even though I have attempted suicide.

I received trauma informed care in last few years, which ahs been different to treatment I recived in past

Last Thursday my psychiatrist (who works in the public system) sent me to the emergency department to be admitted onto the ward. I got admitted onto the ward late in the night, but on the Friday, a consultant randomly decided to step in after seeing BPD on my file, then mocked and belittled my fears. And then sent me home acutely suicidal with no plan for the weekend (my case manager did end up stepping in and got my NDIS support coordinator to put on a couple of shifts for the weekend - but this was inadequate for how acute I was).

TW: suicide attempt

I managed to get a place in a PARC unit, I'm supposed to be admitted in the next few days, but I have to minimise how I'm feeling to get in because they won't take me if I'm too acute. Which is freaking ironic.

Hey @Ainjoule I'm really sorry to hear about the lack of care you received, especially when you were needing it so clearly. I'm glad that your psychiatrist is helping you to submit a formal complaint, and that you've been able to get a spot in a PARC unit

After such a hard weekend, how are you doing?

Hey @Ru-bee

I still feel quite distressed but I'm trying to tamper it down with PRN that I have been given. I go to see my psychiatrist in an hour. So that is good. She is really supportive. I have jotted down my complaint so I'll will go through it with her. The PARC unit near where I live is really good, so I'm looking forward to that. Thanks for asking.

Thank you for sharing your journeys @Ainjoule @Till23 @balance37 @Eden1919 ,

It sounds all the more why it's so important that services should be Uniting for change.

I had so many hospital admissions and I met all the criteria for BPD, so I can see why I got the label.

I have also been faced with the stigma of BPD and the challenges that come with it.

I'm sorry felt belittled @Ainjoule . My heart goes out to you.

For me PARC was a lot more effective than hospital.