Misdiagnosed with BPD

Hello all,

I am stuck with BPD on my records. I straight up don't have it.

My initial diagnosis was bipolar disorder. I believe that one to be accurate, but to complicate matters, if I have any personality disorder, it is avoidant. This was actually noted by my psychiatrist.

I self harmed- I haven't done in 2 and a half years. I am 25 now and have no symptoms of BPD. Given that I was also never treated for it, I don't think I ever had it in the first place. I was treated for bipolar- with medication, no therapy- and that worked. I am stable now.

I have no idea what diagnosis anyone is working with. I've been discharged from services now (am in the UK) and my social worker also commented that she felt BPD was a misdiagnosis, and that she felt bipolar disorder was a much better fit for me. She also believed that the fact I dye my hair a lot (seen as an, "identity disturbance", when I have, in fact, dyed my hair since I was 12- it IS! my identity, I like having bright hair!) and knew a lot about MH issues (studying to be a nurse), and that I was female, went against me. I have body dysmorphic disorder, which also complicates things.

I have never presented with the, "core" BPD traits. I don't have problems in my relationships, or a quick temper, and I am not "affectively" instable. My mood swings were quicker when I was younger, but have gradually slowed immensely on medication. My impulsivity is exclusively confined to episodes of high mood- my last one was last year, and it lasted 4 months, in which time I dined out every day thinking I was rich, and tried to sell a flat I did not own. My diagnosis was given after an overdose- but that was the second one I have ever taken, after a long depressive episode. I also did not summon help on my own, I was found. It wasn't a self harming overdose that I did repeatedly.

This leads me to believe that bipolar was the problem all along. Even if it isn't, it's not BPD. In terms of relationships and self image, AvPD has always fitted better. I have social phobia but it only manifests during depressive or normal periods. My, "normal" self is reclusive. My "abnormal" self is not. I have low self esteem and am socially anxious, but my close relationships- and I do have them- are fine. Happy, drama-free and normal. I have been with my boyfriend for 2 and a half years. Before that, it was a 4 year relationship. I have no problems with fears of abandonment (I feel quite secure in my relationships), black and white thinking, etc, and self harmed in agitated episodes to calm myself down.

I had BPD traits when I was younger, but I was young! I'm irritated I have been slapped with the diagnosis of a personality disorder, when, without therapy or real treatment for it, I have recovered as a young adult That, to me, suggests that it was not a personality disorder to begin with.

I have a new GP and she is treating me as though I am BPD. She has prescribed medication for BPD (lamictal) in the long term, as insurance, really. But it is incredibly difficult to discuss anything with that label over my head.

Has anyone else been misdiagnosed? How do you get it off your rap sheet?

I think a Mod needs to add "trigger warning" to the topic thread.

I was misdiagnosed as bipolar for six years. And after being on almost every medication under the sun, I finally hit the roof and got hospitalized when my psychiatrist had me on the following:

Klonipin/Adderall/Fanapt/Saphris

So, yes, many of us have, and will be misdiagnosed. If you're studying for nursing school, then you know that MH is not an exact science, and is in fact, subjective. At least it isn't easily diagnosed with a simple blood test, unless your problems lie solely in thyroid, etc.

I will say that, this "rap sheet" you speak of has so many things on it, that I'm not quite so sure why you're worried about "getting BPD off of it"? What does it even matter at this point?

Lamictal is a mood stabilizer, and I had tried it once before when they thought I was "bipolar". It didn't work for me, but maybe it will for you. There are a lot of BP's and BPD's that have true success with it.

AMP