Question

[acacia]

Do people with BPD notice that doctors/therapists etc seem to try to avoid actually telling you that you have BPD?

I've noticed that the people who run my DBT group and my councellor try to avoid actually using the term, and my doctor has never told me to my face that I have it, only told another doctor over the phone while I was in the room.

[lonelyheartemma]

I don't have bpd but i'm pretty sure the GPs i have seen recently havent used the words depression. they always seem to work around it by asking questions like how do you feel in yourself, I'd rather they just said what they mean, it just like reeinforces the idea that it shouldnt be talked about but i'm sure they are just trying to be sensitive about it. they also say things like how has your mood been. The last time i was with the mental health team they hated me using any words like depression, anxiety, disability, they always got angry and said don't label yourself. so when they talked to me about problems and issues it wasnt always clear which one they meant. sorry i think I went a bit ranty!

[abstract312]

I don't have BPD either but when I was diagnosed with a disorder six years ago my therapist did not use the exact name of the disorder when she talked to me, I remember I thought it strange since she wrote it in those administrative papers, there was a code of the disorder and stuff. The last time I went to the therapist [not the same one] several months ago, again, I was the only one to give labels to myself and the disorder he didn't mention anything like that.

[Shadow girl]

I do have BPD and they had to tell me in the end so I could be reffed for DBT.

My CPN didn't come out and say it, he started off by telling me my dx is being re-catagorised in the next manual to a mood disorder called "Emotional regulation Disorder". Then he explained what it is. At the end of that appt he said its current name is emotionally unstable personality dsorder - then he gave me space to rant, but I didn't because I knew it was BPD long before it was mentioned. He didn't refer to it as BPD till he had to write a report for my DLA claim.

He was so cautious because a few years ago someone gave me a dx of dependent personality disorder and no-one mentioned it so I discovered it after asking to read my notes because I felt the way people treated me had suddenly changed in a negative way. I did kick up a big fuss that time because when I read up what it was I knew it was completely wrong (that was when I suspected BPD would've been more appropriate). In the end a different pdoc agreed it was wrong and annotated my notes to say it was an inappropriate label. I think he was expecting me to flid like I did over the DPD.

[Fionasands]

Hi,

I was specifically assessed at length for my diagnosis. I have BPD, Obsessive complusive, avoidant and dependant personality disorders. I started by completing a questionnaire and then quizzed at length about my answers. This was done on the NHS, but as part of a trial therapy I am currently undergoing.

I have also been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. On top of all that I have recoved from PTSD which again was diagnosed by a specialist.

I believe that GP's and other medical practicitioners are reluctant to give diagnosis as in my experience it takes time to get the proper diagnosis.

I don't know if this helps at all.

[Lily-Bee]

There are different reasons why doctors do this. Sometimes they worry because there is such stigma on BPD you'll freak out if they tell you.

Some also believe that by telling people they have BPD they might start to act on their symptoms more,will identify too much with the label,feel more hopeless etc In other words;make you worse.

I personally believe its mostly best to be open,so people can be educated about their disorder. And find theyre not alone etc. If and when they get worse because of it that can be dealt with when it comes up.

[manja.]

i was given a diagnosis by my psychiatrist in april, but i've heard of many who don't get diagnosis and my cpn was very surprised that i got one. not because she thinks that i don't have it, she'd already indiciated that it was what she thought, but because she also said that they generally don't give a diagnoisis

[acacia]

thanks for replying everyone.

i guess i was kind of glad to find out i had BPD as it helped me understand a lot of my actions and emotions, but i guess i can understand why they don't like giving people labels.

i agree with lily- i'm definitely happier that i've been able to research BPD and find other people with it rather than just not knowing.