Non-textbook symptoms of bpd?
Would anyone be able to help me recognize more symptoms of bpd? I have been diagnosed with depression (and bulimia) but I want to go back and see if I have bpd. Some symptoms align but I’m trying not to self diagnosis or get too anxious. I tried diagnostic tools but I know it’s not a diagnosis. Just curious. Lina anxious and not seeing the psychiatrist in a long time.
@friendlyKite2529 I'm not an expert, but I've read that there can be a lot of overlap between depression and BPD, and it's also possible to be diagnosed with both at the same time. Depression can be a very complex disorder with many symptoms, including anxiety. So what you're trying to find out is a very complicated matter, even for professionals.
You mention that you've seen a psychiatrist, but you don't mention what treatment you're having for your depression and bulimia. Are you having treatment, and is it working? If you are somehow able to discover that you have BPD instead (or in addition), would that help you to recover?
Charlie
so I am doing an anti depressant and therapy. I do see improvement but I also see a long way to go and sometimes I feel hopeless that I’ll ever get better
@friendlyKite2529 I suppose it's possible feeling hopeless could be caused by your depression. Is your therapist hopeful? Have you been able to discover the original cause of your depression and begin work on changing it?
Charlie
I think that sufferers of bulimia have a powerful need to control what goes in and stays in their bodies. That control is a driving force behind the bulimics need to binge and purge. With bpd, having control is almost non existent, especially over our emotions. Too often we have little control over letting our emotions hurt others or ourselves. I would be curious to know if these can exist together when they appear to have opposite driving forces.
@kindTurtle3738 That's an interesting perspective. I Googled it, and found several sources confirming that BPD and bulimia can go together. For example, one article about BPD and eating disorders says:
"BPD has shown to be present in about…28% of those with bulimia nervosa."
The same article explains the many links between BPD and bulimia in more detail.
Charlie
@kindTurtle3738
It looks like people with BPD are more likely to have eating disorders than the general population. Some possible explanations that have been given for this: 1) both are associated with a history of childhood trauma, 2) some of the symptoms of BPD can be risk factors for an eating disorder (e.g. increased impulsivity, self-harm urges).
https://www.verywellmind.com/eating-disorders-and-borderline-personality-425424
least one more psychiatric diagnosis. The most common psychiatric comorbidities associated with eating disorders include mood disorders such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders - particularly OCD and social anxiety disorder - post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorders, sexual dysfunction, and self-harm and suicide ideation.
@kindTurtle3738
Yeah, I wonder if it would be like BPD creates that feeling of not having control... and then the ED helps resolve that feeling because it's like "At least I can try to have some control over my body."
"For the person with an eating disorder, controlling food and the body is their way of relieving distress and achieving some degree of control over their life. Their world feels like an unsafe place, and, for many complex reasons, an eating disorder provides them with a sense of safety."
https://www.bodywhys.ie/understanding-eating-disorders/key-issues/eating-disorders-are-a-coping-mechanism/
