BPDRecovery.com: Forums

I went to a new pdoc today and she thinks I am bipoler. In all my years of psych treatment that is one Dx I never had. She does not beleive in the BPD Dx... she has that typical opinion that it is a wastbasket DX. I do not agree because there is much more to BPD then other psych DXs. I think I may have bipoler but I still beleive that I have BPD... I fit eight of the nine critiria for it. I really did like this doctor, she really seemed like she wanted to care for my concerns and symprtoms. Should I just keep seeing her (ignoring the Dx) or should I try to find someone who beleives in the BPD Dx? The problem is right now I do not have any insurance, so, i am limited in my choices.

Often times doc provide a dual diagnosis for those who have BPD. Many mental health professionals feel BPD is a catch-all dx for mental illness symptoms that cannot fit other categories. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is common as a comorbid dx for BPD.

It might do you more good to focus on the path to recovery than the dx that brought you to the road. The tools at BPDR will fit any type of mental illness, and they fit no mental illness dx too.

my daughter is bipolar. the things that help it, besides it needs meds more than bpd does, is the same basic principles that will help with bpd.

just my view, its more important you like your T and "mesh" than anything else. if this is present, i would keep her/him.

labels are good for insurance and not much else. its more learning what you do and how you act and why and how to change the behavior. bipolar is much more chemical, as bpd is more behavioral based. i dont see much else different in it.

more important is what you want, and feel ok with. most of these dx's can overlap, and out of 20 Ts you will get 20 views.

hi, jujubeesk ~
The first therapist I saw for debilitating anxiety and panic attacks preferred an approach of 'talk' therapy (he also happened to be a pastor, used a sliding scale for fees, and was very good and helpful). When I discovered a blind medication-based NIMH study for folks with Anxiety Disorder, I asked him for a required referral to apply for admittance. He didn't believe that this was the right avenue for me, but upon my insistence, wrote the note.

I think we have to have a productive balance with our Ts and pDocs for our treatment to work... Yeah, we have to relinquish a bunch of control, allow trust to develop, and work things the way we're guided by them, but I think it's not a bad idea to also remember that they are providing a service, and... we as patients are the consumers.

As Nik pointed out, Bipolar and BPD often are co-morbid. I'm thinking meds and treatment for one won't conflict with the other.

I feel it's ok if you acknowledge this T's philosophy about BPD and purposefully engage in treatment for Bipolar, and at the same time ask that she respect your belief that you may also suffer from BPD. Like Nik said, it certainly won't hurt to work the tools practiced here!

~ jr


Oh, I wanted to throw in my fourteen cents on this, too -
I agree totally that clinical labels have limitations (and sometimes impose limitations as well).
According to what I've learned, though, it's not fer sure that BPD doesn't have physiological factors.

I don't know if it matters so much what they think I have - what matters is what we are doing about it. It would be so much better if they could actually test for this stuff, but mental health diagnoses really describe clusters of symptoms.

My T and I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what I do and don't have. My pdoc has told me straight up that he doesn't prescribe based on a diagnosis. I take a mood stabilizer because it helps me, not because I'm "supposed" to take one. Bipolar II, Atypical Depression, Cyclothymia, BPD...

If you've found someone that you like and trust, someone who works well with you, that's important. If she's able to help you, and you can talk with her, I'd say keep going!