HOW was your BPD diagnosed??

I diagnosed myself at the age of 49 after seeing 16 therapists starting at the age of 17. Last year I was dating someone strange, spent every waking hour online researching to figure out what was wrong with him, discovered he had Narcissistic Personality Disorder and through all the reading found out I was Borderline. No one through all those years could figure it out.

I wasn't completely honest with each therapist about my thoughts and feelings but I don't think it was entirely my fault. I truly didn't know how to put it into words. How could you desperately need love and simultaneously push it away? That sounded strange and to hear myself say it out loud, well it scared me. The day I discovered what I had, the guilt went away. All those years of feeling like a freak finally made sense. It wasn't my fault!! The earth was lifted off my shoulders.

Anyway, just curious how others found out about their condition.

Self-diagnosed late last year (I'm 39). I was actively seeking therapy to try and figure out what was wrong. I have been essentially non-functional for the past two years, so I wanted to know what was wrong. I was actually concerned about schizophrenia for a while, there. There's a family history. After reading some info on here, and first-hand accounts, I finally figured out this is what I was dealing with. There was no juggling to try and make a diagnosis fit, or ignoring something so that it doesn't.

Trickiest part, of course, is getting an actual diagnosis. I've run into the therapist and psychiatrist who refuses to put a name to anything, either. About the closest I got was I almost had my psychiatrist admit that the tentative Bipolar II diagnosis I'd gotten back in '95 was wrong. Rapid cycling is about 4 major shifts a year, not a day.

Since I am seriously reconsidering filing for disability, I will need an actual diagnosis. Figure that should be a neat trick in this world ruled by lawyers.

I have been non functional for years. Like you had a list of therapists dating back to my teens (37 now). Got diagnosed after OD a few weeks ago.

I was very angry that so many people got it wrong for so long. Still, better late than never. I even spent 7 years sober believing I was alcoholic. Now I know there is a difference between abuse and addiction. No depression meds ever had any positive effect either.

My life has only just begun!

I knew something was wrong since I was like 14.
So when I was 18, as I'd studied diagnosis before 18 are often wrong, I saw a shrink.
She said she thought I was depressed.
That was a fun manic episode of like 2 months on effexor...
Then she deduced I was Bipolar, which is still true, but then later she concluded the BPD after talking to my mom.

liv4music wrote:I diagnosed myself at the age of 49 after seeing 16 therapists starting at the age of 17. Last year I was dating someone strange, spent every waking hour online researching to figure out what was wrong with him, discovered he had Narcissistic Personality Disorder and through all the reading found out I was Borderline. No one through all those years could figure it out.

I wasn't completely honest with each therapist about my thoughts and feelings but I don't think it was entirely my fault. I truly didn't know how to put it into words. How could you desperately need love and simultaneously push it away? That sounded strange and to hear myself say it out loud, well it scared me. The day I discovered what I had, the guilt went away. All those years of feeling like a freak finally made sense. It wasn't my fault!! The earth was lifted off my shoulders.

Anyway, just curious how others found out about their condition.

I love how you blame your narcissist for what he did and then act as if your diagnosis of BPD absolves you from all guilt. Such a hypocrite lol.

insincerity wrote:I love how you blame your narcissist for what he did and then act as if your diagnosis of BPD absolves you from all guilt. Such a hypocrite lol.

It's a BPD thing.
You wouldn't understand, psychopath. (You're APD right?)
(Love ya insincerity)

SmileXx wrote:

insincerity wrote:I love how you blame your narcissist for what he did and then act as if your diagnosis of BPD absolves you from all guilt. Such a hypocrite lol.

It's a BPD thing.
You wouldn't understand, psychopath. (You're APD right?)
(Love ya insincerity)

Yeah, I'm the friendly neighborhood psychopath. But you don't know the context behind this - she made a thread in January decrying her ex Narcissist's (though he probably wasn't even NPD) behavior (she literally broke up with him because she found his porn... lol) during the course of which Smacster got banned for being the voice of rationality. She also took huge issue with the fact that he lied to her, which is even more ironic given that she's BPD and probably a compulsive liar. My point still stands.

I'm BPD and I'm totally a compulsive liar.
It's what we do! ^_^

I dunno. I don't always actually read the posts I respond to.
So... Lol.

I have to back insecure on this one mainly because, well besides the fact that he's your friendly neighborhood psychopath, he has a point. She did in fact freak out when she found the guy's porn stash. She didn't even give him a chance to reconcile the reason, and he had no say one way or the other. People on the thread even was saying how irrational she was being, and she freaked out on all of us as well. Even Narcissist have good rational opinions, come on.

VTheChaosTheoryV wrote: Even Narcissist have good rational opinions, come on.

Occasionally.