Misdiagnosis

[Morning]

Hi 

This is my first post so I'm not sure if this is in the right place.

6 years ago, I was diagnosed with BPD whilst at uni. I had very little support after this. I was given a booklet about bipolar disorder ( ) and put on waiting lists. I basically have not seen any benefit of a BPD diagnosis.

I saw a couple of counsellors through uni. As soon as I started to discuss my past abuse and trauma, I could see the panic on the counsellor's face. I was told that I wasn't suitable for counselling.

I was very ill when I was diagnosed, but since I kinda thought I'd "grown out" of lots of the symptoms.

I stumbled across cPTSD recently and I was blown away. It really resonated with me, particularly the emotional flashbacks. I had never heard of it and I feel so strongly that I was misdiagnosed.

At Christmas time, for example, or when I go back to my hometown, or when I see or hear from my family, I regress and become a stressed, trembling, aggressive mess - I feel like I return to my teenage state.

I've suffered with my digestion for years, having IBS on and off and frequent unexplained flight or fight responses. I have unexplained nausea for weeks at a time. I've gone to the GP about these, but never seemed to get to the bottom of it and would just give up.

I've also body dysmorphia and eating disorders on and off, as well as severe social anxiety.

So, my question is what are the benefits of seeking a diagnosis, if any? Has anyone received better treatment for a cPSTD diagnosis over a BPD diagnosis?

Thank you for reading  X

[Eyessoblue]

Hi morning, I think the diagnoses are quite similar and some gp's say if you have one you are quite likely to have the other.
In my case I have cptsd as a diagnosis but also know I have traits of bpd and probably bipolar too.
The diagnosis will just get you seen by whichever suitable therapist.
In the uk cptsd isn't recognised so they have to call it PTSD although my therapist says it's definitely cptsd due to it being on going trauma which is silly and confusing as they in my opinion can't then 'properly ' treat my condition!!
It definitely sounds like you have cptsd from what you say although obviously im not a dr but just by what you say sounds like it.
In the uk they say the best treatment is emdr therapy which has been highly effective for me plus some psychotherapy followed by some Cbt. The emdr is by far the most successful for me tho, not sure they would use this for bpd tho.

[Kizzie]

Hi Morning and welcome to OOTS   Glad you found your way here 

Both are caused by trauma but there are differences between BPD (a personality disorder) and the Complex PTSD (a psychological stress disorder).  Here are the main ones (based on an academic article authored by a number of well known traumatologists): 

According to Cloitre et al (2014) "BPD is characterized by fear of abandonment, shifting self-image or self-concept, shifting idealization and devaluation in relationships, and frequent impulsive and suicidal behaviors" whereas in Complex PTSD "the fear of abandonment is not a requirement of the disorder, self-identify is consistently negative rather than shifting, and relational disturbances highlight chronic avoidance of relationships rather than sustained chaotic engagement" (p, 3). 

There's more info about the symptoms of CPTSD here.  If you do seek another diagnosis, it might be an idea to ask if the physician or psychologist knows about Complex PTSD and how it does differ from BPD. Toward this end there are some info sheets and forms that may be useful  here.

[Kalmer]

Hi Morning, welcome to OOTS. I've been diagnosed with BPD in the past and found it an unhelpful label, as many here would agree. My current diagnosis is GAD, but I feel this is because I went into freeze mode in front of doctors and couldn't communicate the levels of stress I experience.

I also suffer with IBS, body dysmorphia and difficulties with eating. You're definitely not alone. I hope you find OOTS a helpful place 

[mourningme]

Hello Morning. Your post caught my attention because I have been working on this problem too. I have been diagnosed with "situational depression", chronic depression, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD....all along the way to finding myself in CPTSD. (My symptoms have been lifelong due to CSA done to me by family members)
I told a friend of mine that I finally had a diagnosis..and she reacted in a way that hurt me by saying "but do you really need a label?"  "Is that really helping?"....and I have been bothered about it ever since. I felt like I was sharing my soul with her, and she just dismissed it and pushed me going to some hypnotizing QUACK who will release all my traumas.....insert eye roll.  SCAM ALERT
I feel like I went my whole life not knowing "what was wrong with me" and now have this clear answer that explains how I have felt always.  It made me realize I am not one person, but in a special population on earth that gets handed childhood tragedies that scar us for life. Finding out that my brain and body is not diseased, but that in reality my horrible symptoms are a NORMAL reaction to traumatic events has given me some ground to stand on. I felt like I was freefalling for a long time into my isolated * before I found this place.
I still go between relief and despair with finding about cptsd....my heart breaks at the realization that all of my feelings and thoughts and symptoms my entire life are real reactions to the abuse I suffered as a child. I hope you can get the answers you need. My next goal is seeking a trauma specialist..specifically for CSA...but this seems violently overwhelming at the moment so I just continue reliving the past in my own mind.

[ah]

Morning,
Welcome 

In my experience, a BPD diagnosis can be an awful thing.
It's sometimes called a "trashcan diagnosis" because at times, when they don't know what's wrong with you they say "Oh! Ok, let's call it BPD" but it's not a neutral diagnosis, it can be stigmatizing and re-traumatizing. Instead of recognizing you're traumatized, that you went through things that weren't normal and reacted to them in the most normal way possible (by developing cptsd), it puts all the blame on your own personality and labels you as incurable, unreliable, imbalanced 'etc. I have no words to say how bad that can be when it's used to further abuse an abuse victim.

I was misdiagnosed with BPD many years ago by doctors blindly colluding with my abusive family to make sure I was silenced. It did me a lot of harm because it meant no one ever believed me. It was the absolute opposite of what I'd imagine "therapy" or "help" to be like.
It left me with distrust of psychiatrists so I never got a formal diagnosis of cptsd, but I have cptsd and I read about cptsd, trauma and the brain.
I don't need a psychiatrist to tell me what I know about myself and my experience. There are very good books out there now, you can self educate.
But maybe if you're looking for good specialized, informed trauma therapy, then getting the right diagnosis might be very helpful.

I feel like I went my whole life not knowing "what was wrong with me" and now have this clear answer that explains how I have felt always.  It made me realize I am not one person, but in a special population on earth that gets handed childhood tragedies that scar us for life. Finding out that my brain and body is not diseased, but that in reality my horrible symptoms are a NORMAL reaction to traumatic events has given me some ground to stand on. I felt like I was freefalling for a long time into my isolated * before I found this place.

I couldn't agree more.

[the mirliton]

Hello Morning,
Thought I would throw in my own experience of the (mis) diagnosis of BPD. The years of wrong meds/judgements (from that diagnosis) and also my total inability to figure out how to live a life worth living (got that from a DBT Institute I went to) made me one very exhausted traveler.  I agree that a label can be a huge handicap and if it is a incorrect one, then it can make a person's life all the worse. My psy nurse sorted out (and was shocked that no one else had before) that not only did I have CPTSD but add in ADHD and I have a brain that has me zoo-zooming even before I realized that it had been triggered. With the proper meds, my "fight or flight" response stands a wee better chance of my dealing with my reactions. Diagnosis's can be helpful...or not, especially if they are not correct. Good luck and listen to that inner voice of yours!  I toted along the incorrect BPD diagnosis for far too long.