How To Choose a Psychiatrist for BPD

I need advice as to how to approach/interview and select a psychiatrist to treat BPD and determine if it is Bipolar vs. BPD or something else.

What questions do you ask to determine:
- their qualifications
- their communication "style"
- their treatment methods
- their success
and whatever else I need to consider to find a qualified psych whom I can communicate with openly and get proper treatment.

Any and all advice is appreciated, since this will be my first time seeking help from a psychiatrist (not psychologist or counselor, whom I tried 2 briefly and they were not a good fit).
I am thinking a psychiatrist is more appropriate for mood or personality disorders.

Let me know...thanks!

I think the first step is to find someone who specializes in personality disorders.

After that, ask about their experience, and tell them flat-out what you're looking for.

I don't know I'm still trying to figure that one out. I'm having trouble with one at the moment, who thinks I'm "a little bit of both" but medicates me heavily as a preventive measure against manic episodes .
The thing about BPD is it has an extremely negative stigma attached to it in the psychiatry field. For example the firm of psychiatrist I'm seeing now have a policy where if you're d/x BPD they won't make medical decisions without consulting the whole staff. So it's important to get a psychiatrist who has had enough experience d/x both BP and BPD especially if you believe they may be comorbid and also a PDOC that will really take the time to try to differentiate the BPD and BP symptons.

I would suggest getting a good therapist who can work with you while you're seeing a psychiatrist because they're the ones that you'll see a lot more of and a good team that communicates well is pretty much essential in getting good treatment and d/x. GL!

I have a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The psychologist is to talk to. The only qualifications I required to pick her was a psych degree and "can I talk to her?"
I'm really bad about talking to people, so if I CAN talk to you, then you should be my shrink. That was how I did that.

My psychiatrist I don't talk to.
I go once in a while, he gives me a questionaire, asks some questions and then asks if I'd like medication.
He's a nice man, and he can talk to you, but his job is to diagnose and treat. He works for the psych dept of a hospital here, head shrink, and that makes him a good doctor for me, because he doesn't pry and want to know "how that makes me feel" he just wants to know how I feel and when.

Picking a shrink is hard. You have to know what you want first.

Thank you everyone for your responses. As I said, I am just realizing or maybe better...am admitting I have a REAL and SERIOUS problem (even if no one outside my home knows the full extent) and that I cannot control (without help) and will not just go away...and is, oh yeah ruining my life and my families lives
I have been a selfish coward and blaming others.....

After some recent events, that have unfortunately brought out my worst personality traits (and even some I didn't think I was capable of) did I realize something was really wrong. I started reading and researching and thought I was bipolar, but I cycle VERY frequently, so I began to believe that wasn't quite it, so I found a link to BPD and did some reading and I found my self saying, yup do that, yup feel that way and so on. I am apparently what is termed a "high functioning BPD" because, no one outside my home knows (though I suspect a few are catching on that things aren't quite right with me).

Also I hold a good job and am pretty high functioning and I am the source of income for my family (since my husband is out of work and having many problems himself).Things are very competitive and stressful in todays work world, so the stress from all that is what I believe has brought out..the worst in me of late (although I have had many of the traits of BPD since I was a kid, just didn't know it or did my parents).

So how do I get help without bringing things crashing down around me? I sense things will get worse before they get better and to be honest, some days I am barely hanging on by my fingernails as it is.....

I guess I need to find a good caring compassionate, but qualified and STRONG psychologist first? Someone i can talk to.
Do I tell them what I think I have or let them figure it out? Will they refer me to a psychiatrist? Will I lose my job and family?
Will there be a nightmare of drug side effects, trying to figure out what works?

I know I have to do something, have to be brave finally and not pretend it will go away. So I would appreciate any insights. I need a plan to get started cause have no real friends or support. Have either pushed them away or don't have the energy to invest in them or don't want them to get close enough to see my disfunctional life.

Thanks.

I wish I could take you to my Psychiatrist. I think he'd be perfect for you to start.
A quick survey and some more direct questions and he could give you a quick base diagnosis and recommend a good psychologist for you (based on what your Dx is) to talk to and narrow the Dx to the exact and get you the help you need for the life you live.
He's just great for that first step. He doesn't want to get down to this issue or anything, just gets you on your way toward a better you and is avaliable if you need him later.
I love my shrinkie dinks.