So, I've been seeing a doctor for psychiatric care on and off since I was maybe 12 or 13, I'll be 22 on Wed. I went many years without care during that time though and in my time have seen a couple doctors who have all seemed to disagree with each other on what is "wrong". Personally I believe it's all anxiety (Which is why I originally started going to the doctor, for a fear of peeing myself after being forced to hold my bladder for 7 hours during school one day and BARELY making it to the bathroom when I was finally allowed to go! Something that still remains a problem in my life because of that one day.) but doctors seem to really disagree with that too. Except one who DID treat me properly for it and made a world of difference until I couldn't afford him anymore. Then I saw a doctor who diagnosed me as bipolar a year later and now that I've moved states, the new doctor "officially" diagnosed me with BPD and doesn't even seem to think anxiety is a real disorder, that it all has to do with depression? I'm a happy person, able to get up and go to work, able to hold long term relationships with a partner, able to be social and go out with friends, able to go do things I enjoy, ect. I also have an awesome boyfriend who makes my life even more happy, who I look forward to a happy life with, who we have plans to marry each other, have kids together, ect. He's my second long term relationship, which I've only ever had 3 because I feel like sex/relationships are about actually caring for someone and having a support system with them, not something "fun" persay. (On a side note, he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was in LONG term care 3x a week for 4 hours a session with a doctor who diagnosed him as such. The doctor who diagnosed me with BPD also disagreed that HE had bipolar disorder having known him in all of maybe 20-30 minutes. Which is about how long it took her to "diagnose" me as well.) From what I gather, and this is no offense to anyone here, BPD people aren't as "stable"? They have impulsive behaviors, feelings of "emptiness" or loneliness, tend to have behavioral problems, self destructive behaviors (ie. sexual addiction which I'm faaar from! Same for drug abuse though I did occasionally drown my sorrows in alcohol for a while after my best friend died but have been sober since early May. Even then it wasn't "obsessive", just went out with friends to drink/hang out to get my mind off things), ect? I'm not saying I'm a perfect person! I have my bad days where I scream and cuss and cry and even hate life at times. I even attempted suicide once by overdosing though having no constant plans for it or even harming myself in any non-deadly ways. (ie. cutting) From what I gather online, these things really put a halt to the lives of people diagnosed with BPD which mine does NOT! I can have my bad moments and then get over them...It might take a couple of hours or even in one or two cases it took me a day or so....But it's not a constant problem for me. And if something is important that needs to be done (ie. going to work) I can put on my big girl panties and go to work like nothing is wrong without taking it out on others. Having a boyfriend who has his ups and downs (Mostly with anger/happiness, not really sadness) we really help each other with our problems and tbh...Everything he describes that he feels when he has his bad days are what mine feel like too. I feel like if I DON'T have "just anxiety", then if we feel the exact same and react the same way to certain situations (Though far more small situations set him off than they do me, I'm pretty hard to break) then why are we diagnosed differently?? Keeping in mind that his is far worse than mine, he can easily have a couple bad days a week off medications and even sometimes while he's on them whereas I really don't have them very often. I can go months without an outburst of anger or deep sadness with 0 medications in my system. (Which depression meds do nothing for me except eat the money in my pocket that I have to dish out every time I need a refill, probably some internal damage from the chemicals as well) We seem to have the same problem, just a difference in occurrences. My ONLY issue (In my mind) is my anxiety though. It makes it hard for me to get into the world but I do force myself to hold jobs, be social, go out, ect. My anxiety still has one hell of a battle with Walmart but who wants to honestly support that company anyways? Even through my anxiety I managed to work for them which made me dislike them more. Off subject though. Lol! I don't even consider it much of an issue anymore because 9x out of 10 I'm completely ok once in the situation. So it's really mostly "pre-anxiety" going on more than anything. Other than that I just can't figure out what is "wrong" that I'm getting such a diagnoses?
I guess I'm not sure where to take this question...I just don't understand the diagnoses when I read about the symptoms and things. Can someone who HAS this problem, let me into their life to understand if I really have this problem? Is this even something that can be diagnosed in a 20-30 minute meeting with a doctor for the very first time or is SHE off her own meds? I guess I'm just not clear on the whole "borderline" area that comes with BPD.