cluster B personality disorder

Hey.

I have BPD that was diagnosed early this year, but suspected by me for many years. I'm 45 and I believe I have had this since my teens. Now I have a name (and label) for it, I'm not sure that it helps, but it does help to know I'm not jusy generally crazy, that there is an identifiable illness. Not may people know about personality disorders so it is hard to talk to anyone about it.

I am finding it diffcult to get the help that I need. I am too old, too poor and in the wrong suburb. If I lived 5kms south or 25kms north there would be free/cheap help available. So, I'm a little cynical.

Luckily there are people on here who have had many positive experiences with treatment and self-care and I would seek their advice (and I will "listen" in too)!

Is this a recent diagnosis? Are you able to get some help?

Hi @Bubbles3 Have you looked at the info about it on the top left hand of this page. Mental health and illness. I thought it might help with some basic info. I don't have BPD but do have DID and found the info really good.

@Maggie.

Hey, no I don't have a personality disorder dear Maggie. But the info would be interesting to read.

I was just trying to give some support to @Bubbles3.

Hugs and God bless

Hi @Bubbles3,

I have BPD. I was diagnosed in 1996. I am very ok with having BPD and passionate about breaking down the stigma around it. I don't really subscribe to the medical model of mental illness, particularly as it relates to BPD. Instead, I tend to conceptualise things more in a trauma-based framework. For me, the issues I have which earnt me the label of BPD are a normal reaction to an abnormal situation, rather than an "illness" as such. This is just my view and I respect that others hold different views.

The most useful thing I've ever done was work through the DBT skills training manual. I see no point in spending thousands of dollars on a DBT program when I could buy the manual for less than the cost of a single therapy session. @CheerBear and I are about to start working through the manual together-but-not. We just need to have a bit of a think about how to best do that in Forum Land. You are extemely welcome to join us if you want to.

Hi @Bubbles3,

I am hoping to have time over the weekend to think about how we might best set up a thread to work through the DBT skills training manual, so I will keep you posted on that upcoming adventure.

I'm not sure what you mean about being diagnosed with cluster B. BPD is one of several personality disorders that are classified as a cluster B personality disorder. Thus, you don't really get diagnosed with cluster B in addition to BPD, but rather BPD (and several other personality disorders) fall under the category of cluster B. Does that make sense?

@Bubbles3 That sounds extremely odd to me, given the huge amount of overlap in the diagnostic criteria. If anyone tried to tell me I had every cluster B personality disorder, I'd be asking them to write down for me very clearly how they arrived at that conclusion. It super bugs me the way mental health professionals throw labels around. It's like, why use one label to explain something when you can throw a dozen different labels about.

Anyway, I have to dash off now. I will be at Friday Feast tonight, perhaps I will "see" you there.