Borderline subtypes? Do you think there are subtypes?

Hello to all,

I used to be a member of this forum (borderline) and just signed up again after going through a life changing couple of years. Anyway, putting that aside....I have come to the stage where I still have unanswered questions about my disorder.

I was diagnosed with BPD roughly 8 years ago (to my great relief!) and since then have been learning to manage the ups and downs of living with Borderline Personality Disorder. At the time, I identified more with some symptoms and diagnostic criteria than others.

I have been doing some reading and noticed some theories around subtypes of BPD. This is interesting as I have never experienced the 'rages' and 'anger' that other people seem to describe.

I was wondering about other people's thoughts around this. Namely, are there symptoms that you just don't have or believe you have.....?

Furthermore, do you think they can change? i.e at one stage or your life you may experience paranoia and then another more anger perhaps?

Looking forward to your responses.

BPD is in very large part about split-off emotional memories and responses.

Emotions, for the most part, are physiological survival mechanisms. Mainly fight (anger) flight (fear) and freeze (dissociation).

Some people will be more or less prone to a certain response over the others, while some people may have a fairly even mixture of all three.

They can also manifest differently in different people, and also interact with / feed into each other.

For example, there may be suppressed rage, but the person dissociates from it. Or they may fear it and thus turn it inwards on the self, which can manifest as self-loathing and self-damaging behaviors.

The concept of BPD continues to be a work in progress. Initially even something like having multiple sex partners was considered an indicator of BPD - but just in women. Psychology hasn't exactly been free of stereotypes and sexism, however ironic that may be. So unsurprisingly there have been plenty of other sweeping stereotypes along the way, including the notion that all people with BPD are overtly angry and outwardly destructive.

Thanks for your reply.

I understand there are different responses however was more referring to the symptoms experienced. I am aware borderlines get stereo-typed.

I was reading http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/borde ... -disorder/

and it mentions 4 subtypes - discouraged, impulsive, petulant, self-destructive.

Another site I saw 2 subtypes - borderline and impulsive.

Do other people know about these, and either think the categories suit them or describe them but not quite??

Thanks

Personality Disorders in Modern Life by Theodore Million. Check it out - lists the four subtypes as you mentioned.

mostlyghostly wrote:BPD is in very large part about split-off emotional memories and responses.

Emotions, for the most part, are physiological survival mechanisms. Mainly fight (anger) flight (fear) and freeze (dissociation).

Some people will be more or less prone to a certain response over the others, while some people may have a fairly even mixture of all three.

They can also manifest differently in different people, and also interact with / feed into each other.

For example, there may be suppressed rage, but the person dissociates from it. Or they may fear it and thus turn it inwards on the self, which can manifest as self-loathing and self-damaging behaviors.

The concept of BPD continues to be a work in progress. Initially even something like having multiple sex partners was considered an indicator of BPD - but just in women. Psychology hasn't exactly been free of stereotypes and sexism, however ironic that may be. So unsurprisingly there have been plenty of other sweeping stereotypes along the way, including the notion that all people with BPD are overtly angry and outwardly destructive.

Very interesting point by you, mostlyghostly!

My responses are all of the three. Even many people have said to me to stop flee all the time. Stay where you are for a couple of weeks and you will be happier, they say. But maybe it is hard for them to understand, so I do not blame anyone.

If someone acts very disturbing towards me I tend to freeze and not be able to show how upset I become (in some cases I can bite them off right away but that is usually a short-term outburst). But after a few minutes when I sort the situation out I can become really agitated. After I think different thoughts like; why they said or did that? What is wrong? Why they act so rude? Why they misunderstand and misinterpret? Etc.

Very frustrating. I feel like they are my worst enemy but after an hour or two it is okay again.

About the different subtypes they were kind of new to me. I am not sure if it is that easy as this is a personality disorder & I can identify myself with three of the different subtypes. The self-destructive one is not really ME - more like the petulant with lots of anxiety & emptiness.

Keep in mind that all personality disorders have been discovered relatively recently and are a constant work in progress. Some professionals say that there are no subtypes, but only the textbook case, while others disagree. The two most common subtypes I've heard are the textbook and the quiet borderline. Whereas the textbook borderline acts out when they're angry, the quiet one will act in.

so i am trying to understand myself.so it amazes me why do i relate so much with emotional things bpd say.either i am naturally good with psychology or i have traits my self.
i think noone would diagnose me with it though.but i just want to understand myself.i always felt that what i have is something different than classic depression.
what i read online about bpd most often as the most importand traits to be,is they are hostile,impulsive,risk talking and would chase someone to stay.
and i am none of those.
i do want to be hostile half the times and impulsive so much but i don’t do it and instead of chasing someone i want to leave.
so i thought i was avoidant but i am too social.
maybe is only traits or suptype bur my point is
i feel nomatter how much i relate there is no way anyone would say i have it without being impulsive or hostile.
i feel like a non and bpd is just a non who is more hostile and impulsive.

@julllia

they are hostile,impulsive,risk talking and would chase someone to stay.

Hostile - i can be when triggered (but not when calm)
Impulsive - yes
risk talking/risk taking - (no not really)
chase someone to stay - (have done once, but i disconnect/devalue more now than i did 20 years ago)

Whether you are or not ..self awareness is the most important than a label anyway imo

when you say impulsive can you give example if you want.it helps me way more to understand than descriptions online if could discuss with someone.
or how did you get diagnosed why you got to therapy.what did you do?
i did a test in this forum about bpd and i only had half ,i score high in bpd but i am a non.because i had the half emotional stuf but i also had to be hostile,impulsive or risk taking at least one of 3 that i feel i am not. maybe i only have traits.
i do not care for an official diagosis i am just curious what is wrong with me.or why i relate.what is similar.
but the general puplic idea of bpd. is someone more annoying than me.you. know online descriptions are awful.i am not sure if they are true.
my parents were impulsive and i hated it.the only way to survive was if i wasn’t impulsive.if i was the opposite of them.
often people wonder why i wasn’t like my family.sorry random venting

@julllia
My impulsiveness ranges,
if i want to do something i just do it ...i dont think to much about why i want i just do, sometimes people have said no we can do it tomorrow (i hate tomorrow, i want now) walking,cooking,sex,shopping i hate waiting for others ..i would go alone as long as its "now" and not tomorrow (ha ha) sounds pretty bad when i write that down...

I dont like online tests, everyone is different, and yes there are very many negative comments in regards to BPD "run away" "they are monsters" "cheaters" and it irritates me, but makes me laugh to in a way because some people just don't bother to learn about it and draws conclusions on what they read online on bad sites,

I can be scary apparently but only when im triggered ..so my advice to people in my 3D life is dont trigger me then (im not hard to please) so its not hard right? in my logic its not to trigger me.