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Old 06-11-2009, 01:51 PM   #4 (permalink)
sct
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 347
My suggestion is to not self-diagnose. Leave that to the professionals... it's easy to make up symptoms that fit whatever you think you might be. A therapist that works with you regularly though, will be able to tease out concrete patterns vs. reactions to things going on in your life that you're responding too.

It's also not generally advised that a diagnosis be put in place when someone is newly recovering from addiction, within the first six months, or year or so. I had a diagnosis list as long as my arm about a year before I got clean, and it was cut in half, after I had about six-seven months clean. (The list, not my arm. ) If you're new to recovery- maybe still see someone, but realize that things may change.

Depending on environmental factors and several other bullet points, you may qualify for a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder- one of the diagnostic criteria for which is substance abuse/ impulsive or reckless behavior. Addicts have a head start on that one, but if you find a therapist you feel comfortable with, it might be something to bring up if you think a pervasive pattern exists.

It is a very important distinction to make, between borderline and bipolar. Bipolar, some of the time is treatable with medications. Borderline on its own, doesn't always respond as well, or in the same ways to medications, and I think the treatments are quite different.
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