Differences between DID and BPD

Curious what are the differences between DID and BPD or C-PTSD. I was diagnosed with the latter two recently; however, there is a lot of DID in my family. To my knowledge, I am the only member of my family to be diagnosed with BPD. I'm also curious why--when one suffers the abuse that leads to C-PTSD-- some like myself develop into BPD while others develop into DID.

I definitely forget some personal information about people and look through the world with different eyes at different times. But since I am aware of it most of the time, I think it's just BPD. DID was ruled out for several reasons. If so, would that mean that BPD is just a less severe form of DID?

I am a little bit concerned because my grandmother, who is a licensed psychologist who works with DID, once told me that DID is simply a defense mechanism by more intelligent people while BPD is a sign of a less intelligent person experiencing the same thing. So...

There are no known causes for BPD, instead, it has multiple factors that have to be present in a certain amount. Some biologial factors, some genetic, some environmental, etc.

I might get closer into BPD later, right now I have to go study

Claire

**trigger warning- talk of DID development**

manyhearts is right

there are no none causes for BPD, instead, it deals with multiple factors

there is, however, a known cause for DID, and that's trauma (trauma, not just abuse. there's a large variety of trauma, especially since DID develops in childhood, so anything that could be considered traumatic to a child, if the child does not receive help with processing that trauma, accepting that trauma, coping with that trauma, etc., then that's when things like PTSD, C-PTSD, DID, DDNOS-1, etc., can start to develop. -however, DID/DDNOS-1 develop only during childhood, while the others like PTSD can of course, develop for anyone at any age).


they are also two very different conditions- BPD is a personality disorder, DID is a dissociative disorder. DID deals with identity issues, dissociated parts of a personality. there's a reason it was changed from MPD- it was realized that it's not a personality disorder, and that no one can have multiple personalities.


when we're born/growing up, we all start out with neurons that make up our personality in our brain. during childhood, these personality neurons go through the developmental process of structuring together, kinda "melding" together. it doesn't happen quickly- it takes a few years, and happens during childhood.

with normal personality development, the neurons become structured together, "meld" together a bit, some are kept, others are gotten rid of, until they become fully structured together to form a whole personality.

with DID development, this structuring process is interrupted/disrupted by trauma, or the "side-effects" of trauma. the neurons do not structure together, they don't "meld" together, and instead, stay separated. these separated personality neurons end up forming "sides" of the personality, which then later develop into alters/fragments as they're needed to survive/cope.



BPD is not like this. i don't know much about it, but others of us do, they've researched it for psychology classes and such, and so i know enough about it to know it's not like DID. it can share similar symptoms and similar feelings and experiences and such, but it doesn't develop the same way, and it's not a dissociative disorder, it's a personality disorder.

i'm not sure where your grandma learned what she did, or why she thought that, or anything, but i certainly disagree with it, and the knowledge i have doesn't agree with it. (i'm not discrediting your grandma or anything, but i've never heard that comparison of DID/BPD before, and considering the differences and everything, i'm not sure how it can add up to be true...)


i don't know if i helped at all, or if knowing more about DID/DDNOS-1 helps you at all, but if you're interested, here's two helpful websites that can be resourceful in learning more about DID/DDNOS-1:

http://www.dissociative-identity-disorder.org/

http://www.dissociative-identity-disorder.net/




- cassie (age ?)

One of the characteristic points of BPD is mood changes. Someone with BPD might be happy and a second later be as angry as someone can be, sometimes without a reason. With DID it is not present, but it looks like it is present! If someone switches for happy alter to angry alter (just an examplem no offence indended to DID) someone on the outside will think that the person with DID had a moodchange. No one will think the first time: hey, i just talked to the happy alter and now to the angry alter. The thinking in extremes with BPD (you're a friend or not, you're succesful or worthless, nothing in between) might also seem to be present with switches, since people see your point of view change a lot.

People with BPD often have identity problems, they just can't pinpoint their personality. Also they have low self-esteem and trouble with knowing what they want. Again, DID might give the same to outsiders, but it has a completely diffent cause. If you switch about once a week, you start clothing and behaving differently once a week, so people will think you just don't know what you want and who you actually are. The reality is, you ain't the same person every day.

Pople with BPD also often have a feeling like they are left outside. With DID, the fact that the different parts of the personality didn't connect completely, it might simulate that feeling. A feeling that something is missing, you always might feel like something is missing without being able to point what's missing.

In BPD there are a lot of dissociations too. But, they are caused by the brain not being able to find some certain connections. by example, they can't find the connection between time and space, causing them to lose time. Or a connection between perceptions and instinct, making them feel like they are not in the place they see (they might see a supermarket, but feel like they're on a beach). With DID the connections can't be made because they're not there, an alter might be stuck in the 50's because of that, or be inable to recognize their body as they're own, the connections don't exist (yet).


I guess thus quite covers the main points, Tomboy24 already covered the causes so I won't write about that, since her explanation is really great.

Hi,

I've actually heard what your Grandma said before, in slightly more clinical terms, I cannot find that paper now but will post it when I do.

I think any diagnosis is to be taken with a bit of a grain of salt - psychiatric diagnoses are far from clear-cut and "insiders" to the developemnt of the diagnostic categories will readily admit to that. Especially with BPD, there is increasing debate that it, too, is a trauma-related condition (if you google BPD and trauma you'll see).

There are differences of course between BPD and DID as the others have pointed out - BPD seems to have a lot to do with emotional dysregulation while DID has more to do with emotional disconnection. Some researchers think of BPD as a "lesser" form of DID, more related to DDNOS-1, while others think it is something else alltogether. Some think of it as a personality disorder, some as a trauma thing. It all depends who you believe, really.

The question is, what difference would it make for you?

People can have DID & BPD at the same time so I definitely don't agree it has anything to do with intelligence or whatever.

BPD is, in my opinion, a bit of a blanket diagnosis. A great number of people diagnosed with BPD have been through abusive backgrounds but it may not have started as early on as in DId so didn't cause such extreme personality fragmentation.

I was diagnosed with BPD for 5 years before receiving the DID diagnosis. It seems to be known as a bit of a waste basket diagnosis ... Given to people quite freely if they have ever self harmed or have rocky relationships with others. A DID diagnosis here is so rare under the NHS that BPD is the label that scoops everyone up who is displaying symptoms other than your 'basic' depression/anxiety.

I knew it wasn't the right diagnosis for me as whilst it does talk about dissociation as being a symptom it doesn't talk about dissociation to the level of hearing consistent parts of you who switch out. But would the NHS listen to me? No. They think they understand BPD and have developed ways of dealing with it (DBT for example) whereas they have no provisions for dealing with DID at all. To be honest I think they mould the patient to their practice rather than the other way round.

I appear to have gone on a massive rant about this.. apologies for that! I did my dissertation on BPD and have spoken to a lot of people about it so am quite passionate about its misuse today.

-B

I agree completely with tribeofone and bourbon's experience is quite common. The other common experience is to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. I've often posted here about the fact that diagnoses are irrelevant and do not mean anything- they are unscientific, unreliable, and have absolutely no validity whatsoever. Well, now the National Institute of Mental Health (in America) agrees and put out a truly disruptive statement saying so. As a result, the British Psychological Association has put out a statement that not only are diagnoses not valid, but mental illness is not biologically based and all mental health issues are related to adverse life events, including trauma. So, trying to get caught up between what is BPD and what is DID is a fruitless endeavor- really, you should be asking yourself what are the meaning of my behaviors and symptoms, why do they exist, and how can I work on this. Hopefully you can find a therapist who does the same, and will work with you on trauma, dissociation, and skills so that you can have a healthier and happier life. Getting caught up in diagnoses rarely ends well.

Having said that, BPD and DID are based on observable behaviors and nothing more. If one goes by the DSM, then statements such as what your grandmother made are completely wrong, judgmental, and stereotypical. As stated before, borderline is associated with emotion dysregulation, self-harm, chaotic relationships, black and white thinking, dissociation (which is the same as it is in DID without the "switching"), and risky behaviors. DID is associated with observable switching of personality states. That is it. Anything beyond that is specific groups or individuals with theories. There are theories that BPD and DID lie on a continuum. But then, there are also theories that DID lies on a coninuum with schizophrenia. There are theories that DID is just an extreme form of BPD. There are theories that both are really just C-PTSD (which originally was developed as a category, rejected by the DSM, in order to reclassify individuals with BPD as trauma victims instead of personality disordered individuals). There are no differences in brain structures, or neurons, or chemicals. These are man-made categories that describe behavior. That is all. That is also why many people have both (50-70% of those with DID also meet criteria for BPD, and 70-90% of those with BPD meet criteria for any dissociative disorder).

yupp, boopsy26 has said it.

That being said, I would personally always prefer to go with DID for the simple reason that even if it is no more precise a diagnosis than the others, it provides a narrative framework for the "sufferer" that allows them infinitely more self-help and empowerment than others. If you're told you have a personality disorder or schizophrenia, that essentailly leaves you at the mercy of the mental health profession to tell you what's good for you. In DID, your diagnosis comes with a fairly well structured framework for understanding what is going on in your head and tools to deal with it yourself, such as getting alters to communicate and thereby repairing some of your own damage.

I think whether one overtly switches, or how many personalities one can or cannot have and such are secondary - what is important is, do you experience yourself as a bundle of rampant emotions that you somehow have to control by yourself, or do you give the emotions a name and a face, talk to them and get them to get along. There is a degree of choice in that (and as such maybe it does not have to do with intelligence so much as self-sufficiency).

Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I don't think there's really any possibility I have DID. I am BPD in just about every way. I'm just curious about BPD and was wondering about its similarity to DID, given that DID is definitely in my family tree.

I had severe trauma as a very young child, including rampant sexual abuse, which could have become DID as well, but it did not, so far as I know. I have a chaotic, dysfunctional life, and I often look at the world through different eyes; however, I do not have amnesia between these different states of perception, which kind of rules out DID, I think. It's more like a mood switch from one moment to another, classic BPD.

I am curious why I developed into BPD and not DID, like my Uncle, for example, who suffered similar trauma as a child. Then, my cousin has DID, and we do not know if she suffered trauma or not. I was wondering if my grandmother's "less intelligent" comment has any basis.

Tyri0n wrote:I have a chaotic, dysfunctional life, and I often look at the world through different eyes; however, I do not have amnesia between these different states of perception, which kind of rules out DID, I think

No it doesn't. Lack of amnesia doesn't rule out DID. Do you have early memories? I don't have amnesia between different alters now, hardly at all since working with them more. I have done in the past, and I have a lot of amnesia for my childhood. What you call "states of perception" are alters for me because of how different they are to me. By that I mean they hold emotion, whereas I tend to not. They are very consistent in how old they are, giving themselves names, having reactions to things in present day I wouldn't have, etc. I think the difference is that in BPD the sufferer tends to hold a sense of self, they still perhaps have the core 'them' sandwiched between these different states of perception. Whereas when I switch the "I" as I know it goes right back and is completely taken over and replaced by another part with their OWN sense of self, completely separate from mine. Just thinking out loud really. I like what boopsy said about how really it doesn't matter, it's just working out what YOU experience personally and trying to feel better in yourself, but I can't resist a good old discussion about the differences between diagnoses considering I have a life long interest in psychology

-B