Topic Tuesday // Living with BPD - your questions answered // 3 Oct. 7pm - 9pm AEST

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How does the title 'boarderline personality disorder' sit with you? Would you call it something different or are you comfortable with it?

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I think it is an absurd name. It dates back to when it was thought that BPD sat at the border of neurosis and psychosis. I know there was a strong push to change it in the DSM-V but the idea was rejected. A big part of this push was to change it to complex PTSD. Now complex PTSD is being thrown around as a diagnosis AND BPD is also still being thrown around. I have asked several times in Forum Land if anyone can explain to me how the one individual can end up with a dual diagnosis of both BPD and complex PTSD when the diagnostic criteria are nearly identical.

I think it also makes it incredibly difficult to distinguish the illness from the person. I mean, my personality is ME. There is no other me hiding under my personality. I am my personality, my personality is me. Thus, telling me that my personality is disordered but that I shouldn't let that define me makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I think I'd call it "pervasive emotion dysregulation disorder".

@Former-Member Yep, that was the argument against renaming BPD complex-PTSD. The vast majority of people with BPD do have a trauma history. My personal view is that those without that history probably don't have BPD (but that is just my view and many disagree with it - hence why it didn't get changed in the DSM-V). Either way, the puzzle still remains why anyone would ever get BOTH diagnoses.

Thank you ALL so much for braving some tough questions tonight - all in the name of raising awareness and helping others understand.

I hope nothing has been triggering in here for anyone tonight. If something has though, please don't hesitate to stick around in other threads and wind down and connect with others. If things are escalating, it's super important to talk directly though. SANE's Help Centre is available until 10pm AEDT and there are crisis services available 24/7:

Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Crisis Chat

Suicide call back service: 1300 659 467 or online counselling

Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 or web chat

Mensline: 1300 78 99 78 or online counselling

If in immediate danger: 000

Thank you ALL again so much.

Super big thank you @NikNik...even though I think my brain is about to explode or something.