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Confused Newbie

User Profile: emotionalHuman5087
emotionalHuman5087 March 9th, 2021

Hi everyone. I'm a bit confused about my diagnosis. I phoned the crisis team last week and while talking to the very nice doctor, she asked me if I had done any research on emotional intensity dysregulation. I explained that I had tried to but everything I searched just came up with BPD. The doctor then told me this was correct and what I have. I've received a discharge letter today from the same doctor who has written that I "identify with features of BPD." What does this mean exactly? Do I have it or not? I'm very confused...

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User Profile: kindTurtle3738
kindTurtle3738 March 10th, 2021

I think it may mean you show symptoms of bpd. How long do ur mood swings last? Your highs and lows

User Profile: emotionalHuman5087
emotionalHuman5087 OP March 10th, 2021

I've never had highs. I've experienced low mood for a long time, I've been diagnosed as clinically depressed (?) I also get very angry, very quickly over the smallest things, and this last a long time. I phoned the doctors for clarification and they have said I do have it.

User Profile: RarelyCharlie
RarelyCharlie March 10th, 2021

@emotionalHuman5087 I agree. Writing that you "identify with features of BPD" is confusing.

My guess is that it means you do not have full BPD, but you have some of the symptoms of BPD and it's OK to call it BPD. The big question, though, is what treatment they are going to offer you. There are effective treatments for depression and for anger, but they are not the same as treatment for emotional intensity dysregulation.

Mood swings, highs and lows, are more typical of bipolar disorder, which is a completely different disorder from BPD. Bipolar disorder is treated in a very different way.

Charlie

3 replies
User Profile: emotionalHuman5087
emotionalHuman5087 OP March 10th, 2021

They haven't put anything in place apart from medication. They've told me to refer myself for talking therapies and to do my own research around self help techniques

2 replies
User Profile: RarelyCharlie
RarelyCharlie March 10th, 2021

@emotionalHuman5087 Only medication? That makes it sound like they are only treating you for mild depression, not BPD. It's difficult to make sense of.

I just noticed you mentioned a discharge letter, and that's difficult to make sense of too.

Here in the UK, the guidelines for treating BPD say, "Drug treatment should not be used specifically for borderline personality disorder or for the individual symptoms or behaviour associated with the disorder…"

I wonder whether it might be useful to go back to your GP (your primary care physician) about the whole situation and ask for what's called a second opinion from a psychiatrist who has never met you before.

Charlie

1 reply
User Profile: emotionalHuman5087
emotionalHuman5087 OP March 10th, 2021

They gave me the medication to control my mood swings, I don't think it'll be a permanent thing. I spoke to the GP and they said I do have it, but I think funding in my local area doesn't help. They don't really like referring you for anything, they prefer you do it yourself. I have also been diagnosed with clinical depression

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User Profile: FirstLight4762
FirstLight4762 March 10th, 2021

It means you haven't been properly diagnosed with BPD yet. You meet some accurate symptoms, but deeper examination is neccessary to officially acknowledge you have BPD