Ok, so I will try to keep this short. I was diagnosed with bpd amongst other things after a hospital stay couple of years ago and every assessment I’ve had since has agreed with it. About a year ago my team wanted to refer me for the STEPPS program, which is specifically designed for those who have bpd. But to be referred you have to have been stable for 6 months, i.e. no self-harm/suicidal behavior and at the time that was not the case so I had to wait.
Well my psych nurse who I’ve been seeing on and pff for years came to see me last week. We’ve been talking about long term treatment and I brought up the STEPPS program again. She said that she didn’t think that was for me, because it’d for people with emotional intensity disorder. I said that I thought my diagnosis was bpd which is the same thing just EID is the newly accepted name. She said to me that there are a lot of personality disorders and bpd means that you are on the borderline of having one of them…
huh?! I dont think it is… it is a disorder on it’s own. Am I wrong?? I’m starting to question my certainty on this because she is the professional and should know, right? But I’m sure what she was saying is wrong.
She went on to say that people with bpd have only two extremes; totally high and overly happy or completely depressed and suicidal. I know there’s the the whole black and white thinking and there are extreme moodswings but unless I’m wrong again it’s not s simple as one or the other. I experience extreme mood swings but that can be anger or sadness and very occasionally happiness. I do have times too where I don’t feel any extreme… I just kind of don’t feel anything. So I feel totally confused, it’s shaken my whole sense of identity. I finally got my head around bpd and having it and I feel like she’s just come and turned my world upside down. Not that I want to have it and I know it doesn’t make me who I am but with this diagnosis things made sense. It seems now I have been a bit more stable for a while, I must be ok.
She brought some info about bpd around a couple of days later and said if I had 5 of the symptoms then thats what I have. But it feels like a brush off. She’s referring me though.
Am I being stupid or does she not seem very informed?
I think you should see someone else… She seems to have no clue about bpd.
From my studies, which may have been 10 years go, bpd does not mean borderline anything although that was what I thought before I looked it up. Its a diagnosis in its own right. Something to do with behaviors that are far from what society deems acceptable. I’ll check again and get back when I find out for sure.
Could she have been confused with bpd mening bi-polar disorder?
Even bipolar doesn’t always have two extremes. The mind, such a mysterious thing.
The borderline refers to being on the edge of psychosis (a loss of contact with reality) and neurosis (involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms). Black and white thinking does not mean only happy or sad. Anyone who honestly believes that should not be allowed to call themselves a psych professional.
Also, the feeling empty (aka not extreme emotion) is one of the common traits in bpd as well. http://bpd.about.com/od/doihavebpd/a/BPDsymptoms.htm these basically follow the 80 questions they ask at diagnosis these days. She’s the idiot.
First don’t every identify your self as a mental disorder, your more than a blurb in a psychology text book. Sencond if you feel you need or just want a second opinion you are well with in your rights to ask for one.
Thanks everyone, I was starting to doubt myself. I can’t believe she knew so little about it and about me after seeing me for such a long time. I’m going to wait until I have the referral assessment with the psychologist for the STEPPS program, they will have the final say.
@Anaestmia thanks for that link it explains so much better and understandably than the criterias I’ve read before.
@Erin it’s not that I identify myself as a mental disorder, it’s just that I finally felt normal because I could totally relate to to the symptoms, it made me feel like I wasn’t just crazy, y know?
Thanks again 
How frustrating! I hope you can get some help soon.
Anonymous
Definitely agree with anaestmia. BPD was named that because it was bordering on psychosis.
I’d definitely seek a 2nd opinion.
Redhead 7 months, 3 weeks ago.
TabbyB. Reason: Duplicate, didn\'t make sense
