Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

47,612Members
1,358,869Posts
1,400,000Visitors

BPD and complex PTSD

Phoenix_RisingSenior Contributor25 July 2017, 11:16 am AEST

BPD and complex PTSD

Hi all,

Ok, I'm going to start by saying this is a venting rant, so feel free to stop reading now.

I am really struggling with the trend lately in psychology/psychiatry of labelling people with both BPD and complex PTSD. The diagnostic criteria for these two labels is so similar that I would suggest pretty much everyone who meets the criteria for one, will also meet the criteria for the other. So what is the point of giving someone two labels when one would suffice?

Can anyone explain to me how one would do a differential diagnosis between BPD and complex PTSD? Can anyone explain to me how, in the one person, you could say these symptoms are due to BPD and these ones are due to complex PTSD. If they can't be seperated out, WHY HAVE TWO LABELS???? How does having two labels instead of one guide treatment? How does it help the client gain greater understanding of their struggles? I would suggest that coming out of a psych's office with two labels would suggest to the client that there is double the problem than if you came out with one, which surely must have a negative impact on the client.

I know there was a strong push to re-name BPD complex-PTSD in the DSM-V but the idea was rejected. I think this was a mistake. To say that someone's personality is disordered is to infer there is something fundamentally wrong with them, whereas the label of complex-PTSD infers that the issue is a response to something that has happened to the person. Thus I much prefer the term complex-PTSD to BPD. However, trying to say that someone has BOTH BPD and complex-PTSD is, to me, absurd.

If anyone can shed light on this for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

@Former-Member @Former-Member @Former-Member @Former-Member

2 replies

1 - 2 of 2

In response to: BPD and complex PTSD

BlueBaySenior Contributor25 July 2017, 11:59 am AEST

Re: BPD and complex PTSD

Hi @Phoenix_Rising

I've been diagnosed with both. My psych has explained it to me like this: The complex PTSD comes from my childhood sexual abuse trauma and I am still dealing with it. The BPD i really don't know where that came from but he tells me it is linked with the childhood abuse.

I don't like the BPD diagnosis or name. I would much prefer "emotional irregularity disorder" or just PTSD. I don't want two labels. One is enough!!

I've heard too that there was a push to rename BPD but haven't heard anymore if it will happen. Hope it does though.

Not surre if what I wrote helps.

BB xxoo

In response to: Re: BPD and complex PTSD

Phoenix_RisingSenior Contributor25 July 2017, 12:24 pm AEST

Re: BPD and complex PTSD

Hi @BlueBay,

Thanks for the response. You sound like a perfect example of what I am saying. Your psych has told you that "the complex PTSD comes from childhood sexual abuse" and the BPD is "linked with the childhood abuse" so...what's the difference between them? Which of your symptoms are due to BPD and which are due to complex PTSD?

To me the whole thing is an absurdity. As an aside, I've had different mental health professionals use the different terms, so in a sense I have received both diagnoses. However, I have never had one person use both labels and it simply makes no sense to me why anyone would.

I use the terms BPD and complex trauma interchangeably and will identify as having one or the other depending on the context of where I am and who I am speaking to. I would never say I have BPD AND complex PTSD - it simply makes no sense to me. To me that would sort of be like someone saying they have a dog AND a dalmation, when they only have one animal.

Sadly, because the name of BPD wasn't changed in the DSM-V, I think it will be a long time before it happens. I really have no idea why they kept it in the DSM-V, it is so outdated.

1 - 2 of 2