Wow...wrong diagnosis. Should I leave?

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I saw my therapist today and was diagnosed. Borderline Personality Disorder w/ Sensory Processing Disorder. It was quite a punch in the stomach, but I think they are correct. Does BPD and Asperger's get mixed up a lot?

Last edited by melodylynette on 24 Jun 2011, 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The title of the post is a bit different from the content of the message. Are you asking whether or not you should leave or are you saying goodbye. If you are asking the former of the two, then there is no reason why you have to leave unless you feel like it (there are other non-autistic people here as well). If you are stating the latter, then goodbye!

I think if I were to receive a diagnosis other than autism, I would be shocked, so I get how that kind of threw you off guard a bit. Still, I am glad you feel comfortable with your diagnosis and understand how it fits in with what you experiencing. Take care!

Well, you already have a lot in common with the rest of us, like sensory processing issues, and BPD can create some not really fun social problems all by itself (or the way people treat/react to you). You don't have to leave.

I fixed the confusion. Yeah, I'm still a little in shock. Guess all the sensory issues had something to do with the mix up.

Oh, to answer your other question:

My ASD traits got me diagnosed with BPD last year. I know my experience is not unique, either. So, yeah, I do think they get mixed up, although I do not know how frequently.

Next year you will probably get a different DX

Why do you say that?

This might be too personal, so feel free to not answer.

Do you think you do have BPD as well, or do you think you were misdiagnosed prior to receiving the AS diagnosis? A long time ago, I once wondering if I had BPD as well because I fit into many (though not all) of the symptoms. Now I know I have autism, but still, there was something there that made me think it, so I can see how one might be confused by the other in certain situations.

I am about 80% certain I do not have BPD.

Several years ago I thought I might have it because my life was a mess in a lot of ways, but it's not a mess in the ways it is for people who have BPD.

I have "traits" of BPD... but as my therapist says, nearly every female human has SOME traits of it. Also, people with BPD tend to fear imagined abandonment... when I fear it because it's happened to me time and time (and time!) again because of the autism and because people are idiots. I don't make any frantic attempts to avoid it, though. I'm not manipulative and I don't lie. I don't feel bored or empty. I don't dissociate. I can be mildly to moderately needy, I have a history of self harm, and... I think that's about it. Still, I've gotten the BPD label when it's clearly not full-blown nor appropriate for me. A few traits does NOT a diagnosis make!

http://www.bpdfamily.com/bpdresources/nk_a102.htm found this link as I was trying to educate myself on what is borderline personality disorder.... boy, I can see why there may be overlap &/or confusion

Yeah, I have some traits, and I appreciated having them pointed out to me in therapy. I have no fear of being alone as such, and I don't really have fears of abandonment. I have a lot of anxiety when people are late to something - like, it gets past the agreed upon time and I start to worry. This could be interpreted as a fear of abandonment as it typically happens when I'm waiting for a ride somewhere.

I also had a very personality disorder-esque set of defense mechanisms in place to avoid admitting that I was depressed and suicidal. Rationalization and denial all the way. It was kind of a moment for me when I realized "Wait, if I want to kill myself, I'm suicidal." At which point I immediately started looking for help.

Ironically, one of the traits of having Aspergers is that it's frequently misdiagnosed not only as BPD but as lots of other things. I have personally been diagnosed with six different (and unrelated) psychiatric illnesses by six different specialists. I finally just got fed up with specialists, and did my own diagnosis. I know myself much more thoroughly than they do, so I believe I do qualify as a specialist in my own self no matter how many degrees they have hanging on their walls. By the way, specialists dislike me because I'll flat-out tell them when I think they're wrong, regardless of their qualifications. They probably scribble on their note pads that I have Oppositional-Defiant Disorder or something, but who cares.

Anyway, no matter what your diagnosis may or may not be, there's no reason to leave this forum unless you just don't like it. If you like it, and find it helpful for you, then you obviously belong here with everyone else.

I once thought I had BPD after watching Girl Interrupted. Mom told me it was Asperger's and then when I kept arguing with her about it, she said "Go talk to (my shrink) about it." That shut me up. I wonder now if that was to shut me up or if she was serious or both.

I fit all criteria except the suicide/self physical harm one. Though I have cut twice in my life and I burn my hands with water when washing them or doing dishes. I would never commit suicide intentionally. I honestly think the reason I didn't catch it was because I didn't want to. It's really hard to be seen has almost psychotic and almost neurotic.

One of the elements of personality disorders is that they typically involve defense mechanisms to rationalize, deny, etc. your behavior. My sister and niece both have a defense mechanism for their behavior where, whatever happens, it must obviously be someone else's fault - whether it's no one's fault and is just making them angry, or whether it's their fault and they don't want to take responsibility. So they justify to themselves why it is someone else that's pissing them off. I'm not saying they have personality disorders, but this behavior prevents them from ever admitting they caused problems.

My niece, for example, complained for 15 minutes about how I was supposedly using up all the internet bandwidth in the house and keeping her from using Facebook. When I got tired of it, came out to the living room and told her off for it, she absolutely denied she had said anything that could be interpreted as attacking me, insulting me, or blaming me for things that were frustrating her.

And personality disorders are like that - the behaviors are just normal and reasonable, not at all out of line.

Between autism, ADHD and major depressive disorder, I actually fit the criteria. This is why I got diagnosed.

I didn't trust myself to reject it, though, so I asked everyone I knew what they thought.