Thoughts?
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
Are you thinking of seeing someone? I've read the symptoms and it sounds like it would be hard to diagnose yourself. I lit up the DMS5 like a Christmas tree my first two years sober. It worked itself out but I really wish I had talked to a doctor when I quit. It would have made it a lot easier. 30% of us do have underlying mental health conditions so it's not out of the questions and co-morbid factors make it harder to recover if not treated.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 850
I think it’s really easy to convince ourselves of anything if we read about it enough, so the best course of action is to get a psych evaluation.
It is possible that you have BPD, but it’s important to get a non biased, professional opinion. I hope you’re able to connect with a psychiatrist and/or therapist to help improve your mental health
It is possible that you have BPD, but it’s important to get a non biased, professional opinion. I hope you’re able to connect with a psychiatrist and/or therapist to help improve your mental health
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 211
One of the biggest symptoms of BPD is fear of abandonment and this can occur even when things in the relationship seem to be going well.
Check!
For example, we can go from feeling very happy to suddenly feeling very low and sad. Sometimes having BPD is like walking on eggshells around yourself — we never know which
Check!
we’re vacillating between extremes.
Check!
Still right on.
Yes.
People with BPD have a lot of love to give, so much that it can be overwhelming.
100%
Check!
For example, we can go from feeling very happy to suddenly feeling very low and sad. Sometimes having BPD is like walking on eggshells around yourself — we never know which
Check!
we’re vacillating between extremes.
Check!
‘I don’t have multiple personalities.’
Due to it being a personality disorder, BPD is often confused with someone having dissociative identity disorder, where people develop multiple personalities.Still right on.
We aren’t dangerous or manipulative… [we] just need a little bit of extra love.’
There’s still a huge stigma surrounding BPD. Many people still believe that those living with it can be manipulative or dangerous due to their symptoms.Yes.
People with BPD have a lot of love to give, so much that it can be overwhelming.
100%
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,435
Good to see you again Jarred
Posting asking for support is not 'clogging' anything up - it's exactly what this place is about.
I don;t know if you have BPD - You might, you might not - noone can diagnose you over the internet.
Those characteristics or symptoms are pretty broad tho - I check a lot of them (or did when I was drinking) and I'm not BPD.
The other thing is...how long have you been sober?
if you're still drinking or very recently quit that makes a correct diagnosis difficult as a drinking problem (especially long term alcohol abuse) can mimic other things like BPD and produce massive mood swings, a certain amount of dissociation and sometimes even a feeling like we're schizophrenic.
If this is troubling you I hope you'll see a Dr about this.
D
Posting asking for support is not 'clogging' anything up - it's exactly what this place is about.
I don;t know if you have BPD - You might, you might not - noone can diagnose you over the internet.
Those characteristics or symptoms are pretty broad tho - I check a lot of them (or did when I was drinking) and I'm not BPD.
The other thing is...how long have you been sober?
if you're still drinking or very recently quit that makes a correct diagnosis difficult as a drinking problem (especially long term alcohol abuse) can mimic other things like BPD and produce massive mood swings, a certain amount of dissociation and sometimes even a feeling like we're schizophrenic.
If this is troubling you I hope you'll see a Dr about this.
D
Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,499
Hi Jarred, I don't think it's a great idea to be self-diagnosing a personality disorder while you're actively drinking. I was fascinated with BPD when I was a drinker and it used to cross my mind that I had it. I definitely ticked a lot of boxes.
Looking back my symptoms were 100% due to my active alcoholism. They magically resolved with sobriety. I swear.
Looking back my symptoms were 100% due to my active alcoholism. They magically resolved with sobriety. I swear.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 277
Originally Posted by JarredMud;[url=tel:7573495
7573495[/url]]Do You Have Borderline Personality Disorder?
You got: It's Possible You Have BPD
LOL, it's an internet quiz and I answered every question yes. I'ts possible.
You got: It's Possible You Have BPD
LOL, it's an internet quiz and I answered every question yes. I'ts possible.
As others have said, the best way forward is to visit a psychiatrist. Only they can correctly diagnose BPD, and even then many do not as it is notoriously difficult to diagnose. I just wanted to share my experience with you (I don’t have BPD for the record).
Towards the end of my drinking, I was absolutely convinced I had BPD and like you, scoured the internet, took quizzes, watched hours of footage on YouTube, identified 100% with all the symptoms. This is it, I thought, I’ve finally found the real problem! I have a mental health condition.
During the same period I started speaking with a counsellor whilst waiting for my psych assessment. After hours of crying and discussion with the counsellor, I started to see things really clearly as she helped identify times in my life which led to my fearful thinking and why I abused alcohol to such an extent that I was destroying myself. Slowly my mindset started to change, and as I gained more and more understanding of why I behaved the way I did, including self destruction via alcohol, the more determined I became that I wanted a better life and wanted to not drink anymore and abuse myself that way.
When I had my psych appointment, I was very honest about my drinking, and due to this the psychiatrist was very hesitant to diagnose me with any mental health disorder as - as she put it - alcoholism mimics other mental health disorders so accurately that diagnosing an active alcoholic or even a recently sober one can be very dangerous as it can lead to a false diagnosis. Luckily they are happy to continue working with me but she said I need to achieve sobriety for a good amount of time and then revisit my symptoms/thinking after solid sober time.
Anyway, the point of my post is, if you are or were drinking as heavily and frequently as I was, alcoholism and alcohols affects on the brain can produce the same symptoms as many mental health disorders including bi-polar, BPD, NPD and even psychosis. Long term alcohol abuse really can have such a devastating impact on the brain, often overlooked in favour of physical symptoms or the negative impacts on a persons life and/or the impacts on people around the alcoholic.
I am of course not a health professional and am in no way downplaying your experience and again, please see a psychiatrist if you feel you are experiencing mental health issues; that’s so important. I just wanted to share my experience as perhaps it can help, and sometimes alcoholism, being the insidious and dastardly disease that it is, actually convinced us it’s better to have a mental health disorder almost as an “excuse” to continue drinking rather than face the fact that we are, in fact, alcoholics. Again, I can’t stress enough that I’m not suggesting in any way that you aren’t suffering, and if so I wish you all the luck and good vibes and support in the world. A psychiatrist will be able to offer the best support regarding mental health, and we here at SR will offer support regarding the drinking and anything else, whether you have mental health issues or not. You’re safe here and remember - you are worthy, and you are enough.
Please keep us up to date and best wishes.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,195
It's important to be assessed with a good amount of sober time under your belt. My behavior and state of mind when I'm drinking or recovering from a binge is in sharp contrast with the person i am when completely sober. I was diagnosed with ADHD while at inpatient rehab for 5 weeks. The professionals were able to observe me over this period and properly diagnose me while entirely sober.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
