BPD in relation to some of our "neighbours"

Disclaimer: This post is in no way intended as a judgement against those with different personality disorders. I fully understand that these issues are part of broad spectra and that many people diagnosed will not fit all the criteria of that particular disorder. I also have the utmost respect for anybody with any mental health problem who is here to try and explore or better themselves. Mental illnesses are what they are. This is a question of catagorisation and practicality rather than morality judgements.

That said, I was wondering how you guys feel about BPD being considered part of the same group as the other personality disorders...This may sound like an odd question, but from my personal experience with BPD and research about the other PDs, it sometimes feels odd that I am placed in the same group.

I have shared traits with avoidant PD, so that one is easy for me to understand. BPD can also seem over-the-top "look at me!" at times, so HPD isn't so difficult to relate to either..The big disparity seems to hit me when it comes to the question of harm, a lack of empathy or being a danger to others...

This, to me, seems to be such a defining feature of what makes a person what they are, that to place somebody who does not feel another's pain or even has serious urges to do harm to others in the same catagory as somebody who simply becomes overwhelmed by their own emotions and acts out or self harms as a frustrated child might is confusing.

I can't think of two more different behaviours than sobbing and feeling like the crappest person on Earth ever because you think somebody hates you as opposed to not caring in the slightest what anyone thinks because your feelings are dulled, you think you're great, and you could happily cause them harm anyway.

Before I possibly dig myself into a bigger hole, does anybody get what I'm trying to say here or have any thoughts? Does the grouping of personality disorders further fuel those misconceptions about BPD as an "evil" or manipulative illness?

I understand what you're saying, but I think BPD is mainly grouped in with other PDs because it affects your personality - others might perceive you as manipulative, attention-seeking etc and consider that who you are, when it's what you have. I do think that suddenly placing BPD outside of the PD spectrum wouldn't really help with prejudices - people have made up their minds by now, I reckon.

I get what you're saying as well. From the way I understand it I think it has less to do with the symptoms that each disorder has as it has to do with where the symptoms arise from. All those characteristics you talk about affect and arise from the development of the personality...despite being very different traits.

So someone whose traits arise from antisocial personality is still categorized with bpd based on what is affected...not how its affected.

At least that's how I've understood it...

Make sense??

The others are right; we're at different ends of the spectrum from ASPD's, but we're still in the same spectrum. We don't hear voices, we don't have an overwhelming addiction to anything, our minds don't blur the line between reality and fantasy, and we generally don't believe that we have illnesses that, in truth, we don't have. The experts can only make so many categories, so they put us in the Personality category.

As to stigma attached to it, I don't think it is any worse than any other disorder or mental illness. Those who have a mental illness or know a loved one who does, are usually sympathetic. Those who don't, typically view us as either Rain man or Ed Gein*. Splitting the hairs of having a personality disorder versus a cognitive/psychotic/[insert any other type here] disorder won't change that. To them, we're crazy.

*Note: DON'T look up Ed Gein if you're in any kind of a triggerable mood. He was a nasty one, who inspired a number of movie villains.

Though we may not have the same traits as other personality disorders, I don't consider other disorders as vastly different. Regardless of the specifics, it is all dysfunctional, maladaptive ways of dealing with our lives.

But I do have some traits from other personality disorders myself, so I don't see the lines between them so clearly perhaps.

I do get what you mean, but as far as the classification goes I'd say its a bit like wondering if blackberries should still be grouped as "berries" when there are also some highly poisonous ones. They're not grouped based on harm or lack of it, and same with PDs. BPD is a personality problem, though it isn't the same as e.g. AsPD.

The real point there might be that you don't feel BPD and AsPD belong in the same cluster ?

Most people with PD actually have a conscience, and a degree of empathy, so it doesn't make sense BPD doesn't belong because of that.

I'd suggest its a feeling of wanting to distance yourself from something that by association would result in rejection by others ?