Borderline: Possible misdiagnosis?

[iam*who*iam]

I have been wondering this for a long time..and am hoping david, you will read, and reply to this..since you are an expert.

As a child, I was sensitive and moody (dissociative, anxious as well).

At 13, I became depressed, suicidal, and began self-harming.

At 14 or 15, I started having memories of s*xual abuse from various males at different times.

I was still very dissociated, and even hallucinated at some points.

I was diagnosed with dysthymic disorder and social anxiety.

As the years went on, I developed an eating disorder at 17 (currently recovering), still to this day, deal with dissociation, self harm (at times), and various anxiety issues.

I was diagnosed as borderline personality at 17, as well as 5 others, in an adolescent psych ward i was in for one month.

I have never been an angry, or impulsive person.

I have the mood instability, self-injury, dissociation..but how can you base all that in one disorder like they have??

I have not totally agreed with it, since i also have PTSD symptoms.

So...how do you know, what is what, and if you have the right 'diagnosis'?

I have seen several psychiatrists, and some say it's borderline and PTSD, some say i'm not borderline but i have dissociative disorders and anxiety disorders, some say it's delusions i have...

so..i do not know who is right.

i see a psychiatrist right now, who treats borderline personality, but also dissociative disorders. in 2003, she said i have possibly, dissociative identity disorder.

i am also confused, what kind of therapy i should be doing...like what i should be making goals, what i should be talking about, HOW i should be having therapy.

it doesn't help that my case worker says i'm just borderline, and suggests that people with trauma issues 'leave them alone'.

and then i see a lady who works with trauma issues (separate from my psychiatrist) who said that i've had so many other therapists, that i need to change therapy somehow....and she has asked how she can help?!?!

so...i have no idea who is right about what...and what i should focus on, or not..and what to suggest to the people helping me, how they can help me in a way that benefits me...

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I have two responses to your post, Iam.

First, I don't even try to diagnose individuals online. The questions I would ask over one or several in-person sessions to arrive at a diagnosis would simply take too long in a forum like this. Additonally, I'd be missing all the non-verbal cues, tone of voice, etc., that help one to make a diagnosis in person. And finally, diagnosis is often a process rather than something that's suddenly or conclusively done. The people in the best position to discuss diagnostic questions with you woud be those who are working with you now or have in the past.

Second, I'm not sure that the diagnosis matters all that much in terms of your therapy. It sounds like you and your therapists have a pretty good idea of the issues you need to address and that's what's important.

 

[iam*who*iam]

thanks. i wasn't really asking for you to give me a diagnosis..just maybe an opinion as to why so many have said so many different things.

as for direction in therapy, i guess i get really confused on that, since i have so many issues, with different symptoms coming and going a lot.

 

[Denii]

Hi,
im new to all these terminologies. Dissociative disorder, is that the same as dissociative identity disorder ?:think:

 

[ladylore]

Welcome Denii :welcome2:

There is a 'dissociative disorder' section in the forum and it can be found under the 'Other Disorders' heading.

 

[Denii]

Thanks! so many sections here hihi.....:happy:

 

[ladylore]

Your most Welcome

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I'm new to all these terminologies. Dissociative disorder, is that the same as dissociative identity disorder? :think:

Nor exactly. A dissociative disorder refers to someone who exhibits dissociation in some form. That may be brief or occasional dissociative episodes in reaction to specific triggers or under high stress, or it may involve fugue states.

Dissociative Identity Disorder, on the other hand, is what used to be known as "Multiple Personality", where in response to early extreme trauma or abuse, the personality splits off into different parts, e.g., the passive one, the shy hiding one, the outgoing one, the aggressive one. It is quite rare.

 

[Denii]

Aha, thanks for links David. With the dutch Wiki i think i get the difference now.:goodjob: