Odd beliefs and unusual thoughts?

Hi, just wondering whether this is a common thing in BPD and if anyone else gets these and how they deal with it. Also, whether it's actually something you need to deal with?

I was recently diagnosed as maybe having BPD. I had a visit from my psychiatric nurse and ended up having to explain why I couldn't open my curtains. Basically, I've been into conspiracy theories for years and I think I'm a victim of organised gangstalking and I don't want people to see into my house. He was quite concerned, but to be honest this has been going on for about 13 years now for me and I usually just don't talk to anyone about it. Granted, sometimes it does impinge upon my life.

We talked some more and I told him about my more 'spiritual' experiences. Anyway, he said he was quite concerned about these 'odd beliefs' and 'unusual thoughts'. My psychiatrist said that this is all because of BPD. However, I just think they are narrow minded and to quick to dismiss this stuff and that my spiritual experiences aren't simply the result of psychological issues.

Anyway, if I don't tell anyone about these unusual thoughts and odd beliefs, they don't know about them, so is it really a problem for me?

Does anyone else here with BPD have experiences with telepathy, seeing auras, being able to feel energies etc? I didn't think stuff like this and an interest in conspiracy theoies was even symptomatic of it?

Welcome to the forum CloudShark

I relate to this. I am a pretty paranoid person and I also have some strange beliefs about the supernatural, paranormal, etc., and I can be quite paranoid about the government. I think paranoia can be a part of BPD. I assume your doctor must have ruled out paranoid personality disorder or schizotypal personality disorder.

I agree with you its a bit narrow-minded of them to assume we are wrong and they are right about that stuff, though.

If it's stress-related paranoia, then it's a symptom of BPD (last criteron). Paranoid delusions like you thinking you're a victim in some thing could be a part of that, but I think they could be psychotic features in addition to your BPD as well.

The spiritual experiences seem to be trickier because they can seem odd, but normal for some people.. If they don't interfere with your day-to-day functioning, I don't think they should be considered a psychological issue.

I'm not very into conspiracy theories but I am a bit in tune with the spiritual stuff.. I can wish for things to happen if I really want them to (usually negative things), I have predicted things in my dreams and with my 'gut feeling', I can feel auras and energies, I've had angels and divine energy visit me in my dreams, I see flashing orbs (sign of angels or other entities), and I have a picture of myself with an orb in front of me. I guess I have a lot of 'sixth sense' stuff going on, but they don't disrupt my day-to-day functioning. My mother's side of the family tends to have psychic abilities; my aunt can curse people, my cousin can read animals' thoughts, and my mum talks to angels and can do energy healing.. Might be a bit strange, but I don't consider them psychological conditions.

I also experience some delusions, mostly persecutory delusions. When I am walking outside, I feel like every car that drives by has someone inside who is going to shoot me. Another one I had, a weirder one, is thinking Mona Lisa was stalking me (I told my psychiatrist this and I don't think he believed me). These, on the other hand, are more of a concern.

Like justagirl00 mentioned, Paranoid PD and Schizotypal PD could be a possibility.. Maybe you have traits of them but don't meet criteria to have the actual disorder(s). Or maybe you meet criteria for psychotic disorders as well, like delusional disorder, so look into them if you wish. I'm pretty sure people get diagnosed with 'BPD with psychotic features' too, which just accounts for the psychosis experienced by the patient.

I think it's easy for people to hear someone talk about conspiracy theories and the supernatural and to assume that it's a mental health issue.

Sixth sense stuff doesn't sound weird - at least not to me.

I worry a lot about the government too. My psychiatrist said this is suspiciousness and psychotic symptoms of BPD. He said that the telepathic stuff was a result of people with BPD wanting to know other people's thoughts. I don't think he understood. My experience isn't coming from that place. It's about being connected and aware of these things.

It's difficult to say whether it's stress related, as I'm constantly anxious. Often about the government!

No one has mentioned paranoid or schizotypal, although I'm really worried because I have done loads of online tests and always come up super high for them. Professionals would have spotted it if it was a problem wouldn't they? Mind you, I've made a point of not talking about this stuff before because it sounds a bit weird to people. Not so much now I know they probably won't slap me on antipsychotics and they don't really medicate BPD much.

I wonder if they don't consider it a disorder along the lines of StPD since you don't talk about it, then it doesn't affect your functioning?

I think to be diagnosed with PPD or StPD a person has to ruminate and obsess/talk about these things even despite getting socially ostracized for it, etc.

justagirl00 wrote:I wonder if they don't consider it a disorder along the lines of StPD since you don't talk about it, then it doesn't affect your functioning?

I think to be diagnosed with PPD or StPD a person has to ruminate and obsess/talk about these things even despite getting socially ostracized for it, etc.

If the OP is hiding because of that, it affects functioning. I would say PPD, or paranoid schizophrenia, or schizoaffective.

OneRinger wrote:

justagirl00 wrote:I wonder if they don't consider it a disorder along the lines of StPD since you don't talk about it, then it doesn't affect your functioning?

I think to be diagnosed with PPD or StPD a person has to ruminate and obsess/talk about these things even despite getting socially ostracized for it, etc.

If the OP is hiding because of that, it affects functioning.

Very true, OneRinger.

(P.S. diagnosing is against the rules)

Im not superstitious or religious but there are things that have happened that have had me wondering whats going on.

How many here have been humming a tune and got in the car, turned it on and that tune is on the radio at almost the exact point your at? Ive also had a feeling someone was going to call and then my phone has gone off.

Coincidence? maybe. My theory is that the brain as it is an electrical device can pick up on some of these things. I believe some people are just more tuned into electrical energy around us. There have been a number of cases of people being affected by wifi signals. A woman in France has been awarded disability payments as it affects her that badly.

Theres so much that we still don't understand so I wouldn't dismiss anything.

Hmm, I do ruminate obsessively about these and other things. I'm seeing psychological therapies at the moment and they think I should be working on something called 'thought action fusion' and magical thinking - eg thinking that things are more likely to happen because I think about them, kind of in an OCD way. I was talking to my psychologist about this and she said that this isn't BPD, it's something else and to press for a different diagnosis. She didn't say what though because she doesn't diagnose.

BPD fits with the affective instability, anxiety, the suicide attempt earlier in the year, past issues with alcohol (many years ago) and an eating disorder in my younger days. The psychiatrist said these are all signs of BPD.

I don't hear voices and never have, so I doubt it's schizophrenia or schizoaffective. However, my psychiatric nurse thinks I'm having ideas of reference, thought broadcasting and thought insertion. The psychiatrist doesn't think so.

Thanks for your answers. I'm not sure what to think. They said I can have antipsychotics if I like, but who actually wants to take those? The side effects are horrible. I haven't really been able to get out and about for the last year now because of this. However, I doubt that I'm really bad, because my nurse agreed that he'd never have known if I hadn't told him. He just thought it was odd that I didn't open the curtains. The spiritual stuff isn't a problem. I'm like DT1095. I think there's stuff that we just can't explain yet.

CloudShark wrote:Hmm, I do ruminate obsessively about these and other things. I'm seeing psychological therapies at the moment and they think I should be working on something called 'thought action fusion' and magical thinking - eg thinking that things are more likely to happen because I think about them, kind of in an OCD way. I was talking to my psychologist about this and she said that this isn't BPD, it's something else and to press for a different diagnosis. She didn't say what though because she doesn't diagnose.

Yes, usually it is linked to schizophrenia or schizotypal PD. It is kind of a small psychosis (not a diagnosis, lol). "Cognitive slippage" is the more euphemistic term. It is something you should look into with people that do diagnose though.

CloudShark wrote:I don't hear voices and never have, so I doubt it's schizophrenia or schizoaffective. However, my psychiatric nurse thinks I'm having ideas of reference, thought broadcasting and thought insertion. The psychiatrist doesn't think so.

That is also part of the above. You might have some, but the psychiatrist does not believe they are grave enough to warrant medication or a special diagnosis.

CloudShark wrote:Thanks for your answers. I'm not sure what to think. They said I can have antipsychotics if I like, but who actually wants to take those? The side effects are horrible. I haven't really been able to get out and about for the last year now because of this. However, I doubt that I'm really bad, because my nurse agreed that he'd never have known if I hadn't told him. He just thought it was odd that I didn't open the curtains. The spiritual stuff isn't a problem. I'm like DT1095. I think there's stuff that we just can't explain yet.

Yes, I also do that with curtains. Maybe you could look into schizotypal PD, but mainly schizotypy for your own edification. Maybe you will see things that you thought were normal but really isn't, and then talk about it with whomever diagnoses you. It is common with a PD like that to hide the psychotic sides, and like you said, nobody would know, since the slippages are not that bad and can be seen as quirks or something. It's a good sign though, it means it is under control, so like you say, drugs might not be necessary.