I think I may have BPD (borderline personality disorder) what do you think??

Question

My mood changes from hour to hour. I get angry about nothing. I have a constant fear of being alone. The thought of my husband leaving for even a night to go out of town leaves me feeling abandoned. I find myself trying to detach myself from him sometimes for the fear that he's going to end up hurting me. The least little thing he says or does that rubs me the wrong way leaves me so angry I want to hit him. I have had a problem with alchohol in the past, but have left it alone recently as I'm pregnant. When my emotions get too hard to handle I have long drawn out crying spells and the urge to injure (cut) myself and most usually follow through with it. I feel empty and isolated a lot of the time. I have difficulty keeping friends and the thought of working out in the public frightens me something awful. I have frequent panic attacks that leave me feeling like the world is spinning out of control. I was sexually abused for 10 years as a child. Should I see a therapist???

Answer 1

hi bear, i'm so truly sorry that you are having a rough time of it.
i can identify with most that you wrote, i too have panic attacks, was molested as well, easily agitated and more of what you said. yes, you should be in treatment for this, but start with your family doctor who can give you a good exam and then make recommendations for whom you should see next. but i can tell you that you do not have BPD, BPD involves alter personalities, could be one other, or countless others. you don't describe anything like that. I believe you are depressed, have anger issues, along with your panic, your agoraphobia, fear of harm, over fearful in general. the mood changes can indicate Bipolar disorder, which i also have. the urge to injure yourself is tied with trying to 'feel something". i urge you to see your doctor as soon as possible, you need not suffer like this, there is therapy and medications to calm most of this down. which i have done. good luck! i hope this helped! :) God Bless!

Answer 2

Well, my mom has it. She's very hard to deal with. I know your husband wasn't doing all that well with the meds for bipolar disorder, but have you considered a second opinion? BPD is a difficult diagnosis because it isn't very responsive to meds, and therapy isn't terribly helpful either. Maybe you could call the National Institute for Mental Health and find a support group. I've gotten my best referrals from people at support groups, because they're very knowledgeable. I'm so sorry this is going this way. Try not to freak out too much until you really have answers from someone you trust. There are books at the library that can make things seem hopeful. I've read them. Good luck.

Answer 3

See anger management, panic attacks, self harm, and social anxiety at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris on pages 4, 6, 8, and BPD at the foot of page 1. www.drdrew.com re abuse, http://www.alcohol-rehabilitation.org/ and (recovery: forum) http://stepchat.com.na.htm You have made a good first step, in giving up alcohol, since there is no safe level for a foetus. If you use the above treatments, and are committed to getting better, your chances of leading a fairly normal life will be greatly increased. Select your therapist with care, as advised, and be on the lookout for post partum depression, as your hormonal levels change, after the birth of your child. While there are medications available, I strongly suggest using relaxation, EFT, and other techniques/supplements, and keeping medication usage to a minimum, particularly when breastfeeding. Read pages 1 and 2 at ezy-build.

Answer 4

I would definitely recommend seeing a therapist. Sexual abuse as a child is something that causes repressed feelings to emerge. People with borderline personality disorder have overwhelming needs that they try to meet in relationships. A major defense mechanism used by these patients is "splitting" which means they fail to integrate positive and negative qualities in a person. They love and adore the positive things done by the other person but as soon as they receive any negative feedback or behavior, they immediately devalue the person and search for a new, positive relationship with someone else. They try to reattach as quickly as possible with another person. This results in unstable relationships. People with borderline personality disorder also have little tolerance for being alone - it's an intense fear of abandonment. Because of their inability to keep a steady relationship due to splitting and the need to constantly be with others, despair and self-mutiliation sets in. Self mutilation is a response to present or anticipated losses. These people really don't mean their actions to be lethal but they are impulsive and self-destructive. These behaviors are precipitated by threats of seperation or rejection. Chronic depression is also common along with anger. Patients display sarcasm, bitterness, or outbursts. Early childhood development plays a role in the development of borderline personality disorder. Kids who were abused, neglected, had hostility displayed to them or had parental losses are at the greatest risk. I hope this information helped.

Answer 5

Sure, just make sure to see a qualified therapist. Lots of people out there practicing therapy are fruit cakes!

Couldn't tell you whether or not you have a personality disorder. No one online can. You'd have to start seeing someone professionally for that.

Did you know that depression and anxiety during pregnancy is common and that women who susceptible to mental illness are at least 10 to 25 times more likely to 'lose it' during or after a pregnancy? Talk to someone before it gets to be too much.

Answer 6

my answer will probably not help you AT ALL, but recently i've been trying to research bipolar disorder and depersonalization disorder, and now BPD. nothing happened to me as a child as far as i know, but everything you wrote sounds EXACTLY like me...also except I'm not pregnant. but everything. i'll be checking on this page to see how people respond to you. i think it would be wise for you to see a therapist. for some reason, though therapists bug me. i feel like they can only help me for so long. and just as a side note...although I didn't feel exactly like this back when I was 15, back then I'd been diagnosed with major depression with a psychosis. not to say that you have that. but you may want to do more research on the BPD, and bipolar I and II.

Answer 7

Well I would see a therapist about that last bit of being sexually abused as a child for 10 years. That can really scar you for life.

Answer 8

It is possible you have BPD. It might be helpful to see a therapist if you have never seen one. DBT might also be helpful.

If you are wanting to work on child sexual abuse trauma, be sure and chose the therapist carefully and find someone with experience in this area.

Answer 9

see a therpist but i think its normal the first part is normal no one wants to be alone. when my fiance leaves somewhere i feel abandoned and scared all girls who have been hurt in the past do you just have to trust. you just need to do things that make you happy to stay happy

Answer 10

Might not be a bad idea.