How do you know if you have a personality disorder?

[sserafim]

.

 

[Malaria]

One way is the most obvious way: getting evaluated by a professional.

The other way is that you know something is off, you know something is not right with the way you behave and perceive things. You look up various disorders, you look up all the symptoms, and the symptoms apply to you so much, and you relate to it so much that it scares you. It might not necessarily mean you have that particular disorder, but if you read the symptoms of a disorder in the DSM, and you relate to it so much that it kinda scares you, or it feels like they are directly talking about you as an individual specifically, then that's a sign something is wrong.

When I first suspected I had BPD, I read all the symptoms and my first thought was "were these people just following me around and wrote a section in this book specifically about me? "

 

[sserafim]

One way is the most obvious way: getting evaluated by a professional.

The other way is that you know something is off, you know something is not right with the way you behave and perceive things. You look up various disorders, you look up all the symptoms, and the symptoms apply to you so much, and you relate to it so much that it scares you. It might not necessarily mean you have that particular disorder, but if you read the symptoms of a disorder in the DSM, and you relate to it so much that it kinda scares you, or it feels like they are directly talking about you as an individual specifically, then that's a sign something is wrong.

When I first suspected I had BPD, I read all the symptoms and my first thought was "were these people just following me around and wrote a section in this book specifically about me? "

I think I might have SPD and AVPD. When I was diagnosed with Asperger's/autism, ADHD, and social anxiety, the examiner didn't say that I had them though. Maybe things changed and I developed them with time?

 

[Malaria]

I think I might have SPD and AVPD. When I was diagnosed with Asperger's/autism, ADHD, and social anxiety, the examiner didn't say that I had them though. Maybe things changed and I developed them with time?

Sometimes when people have a disorder, it doesn't become more obvious until later in life, or as that person develops and grows. My first therapist certainly didn't notice I may have had signs of BPD.

 

[Deleted member 8119]

IMO, the best way is getting an official diagnosis. Some disorders can be vague in description, and there are often more things associated we don't know. If you see someone with no social interest, avoiding people... it may be depression, a lot of those people have similar symptoms while having no disorder. I don't recommend self-diagnoses.

 

[sserafim]

IMO, the best way is getting an official diagnosis. Some disorders can be vague in description, and there are often more things associated we don't know. If you see someone with no social interest, avoiding people... it may be depression, a lot of those people have similar symptoms while having no disorder. I don't recommend self-diagnoses.

Is there any benefit in getting one? I think I'm that probably schizoid instead of avoidant. Some parts of the avoidant description match but others don't. I don't have an inferiority complex or low self-esteem. I am sensitive to criticism though and I don't like rejection.

 

[Deleted member 8119]

Is there any benefit in getting one?

You have a clear direction, it's much easier to work on what's wrong with you after you know what is happening. Without one, you might find yourself taking blind steps towards your symptoms.

 

[deathslament]

I wouldn't know. my doctors gave me a bunch of diagnosis, some which i didn't even know why.

 

[TheShadowKing]

I didn't at all and would have never thought so until I started therapy and got diagnosed

 

[theboy]

do not self-diagnose. a psychiatrist should tell you.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Some egoist who probably cheated their way through school just to earn a piece of paper has to tell it to you based on less than an hour of getting to know you.

 

[sserafim]

Some egoist who probably cheated their way through school just to earn a piece of paper has to tell it to you based on less than an hour of getting to know you.

Lol

 

[EmptyHeaded]

I think I might have SPD and AVPD. When I was diagnosed with Asperger's/autism, ADHD, and social anxiety, the examiner didn't say that I had them though. Maybe things changed and I developed them with time?

SPD is often misdiagnosed as autism, and sometimes it's the other way around. The reason it may not have been mentioned could be that autism explains it better than SPD. Of course, a misdiagnosis is also a possibility.

 

[PolishPanda46]

You have to go see a shrink

 

[sserafim]

SPD is often misdiagnosed as autism, and sometimes it's the other way around. The reason it may not have been mentioned could be that autism explains it better than SPD. Of course, a misdiagnosis is also a possibility.

They diagnosed me with ADHD, social anxiety and "ASD, mild (severity level 1). In the DSM-IV, this was referred to as Asperger's disorder."
My "ADOS-2 results were actually below the cutoff for ASD", but the examiner said that I had "mild but definite ASD". Do you think she could have been wrong?

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think there definitely are personality disorders and mental illnesses. But then, sometimes I wonder what 'normal' is. Sometimes I wonder if any one of us went to a doctors, if we wouldn't come out with some sort of abnormality.

 

[Silent_cries]

One way is the most obvious way: getting evaluated by a professional.

The other way is that you know something is off, you know something is not right with the way you behave and perceive things. You look up various disorders, you look up all the symptoms, and the symptoms apply to you so much, and you relate to it so much that it scares you. It might not necessarily mean you have that particular disorder, but if you read the symptoms of a disorder in the DSM, and you relate to it so much that it kinda scares you, or it feels like they are directly talking about you as an individual specifically, then that's a sign something is wrong.

When I first suspected I had BPD, I read all the symptoms and my first thought was "were these people just following me around and wrote a section in this book specifically about me? "

How do you know the difference between BPD and autism though? I've been wondering wether I have BPD for several years but it's so hard bc alot of the symptoms overlap and idk what would be autism and what would be BPD in my case if I do have it. With that said, even if I do have it I don't think I want a proffessional diagnosis bc of the taboo around it. It would be nice with some insight as wether I likely have it or not still though, so, like how can you tell?

 

[Malaria]

How do you know the difference between BPD and autism though? I've been wondering wether I have BPD for several years but it's so hard bc alot of the symptoms overlap and idk what would be autism and what would be BPD in my case if I do have it. With that said, even if I do have it I don't think I want a proffessional diagnosis bc of the taboo around it. It would be nice with some insight as wether I likely have it or not still though, so, like how can you tell?

My tendency to take things literally and the sensory issues are the autism, while my desperate fear of abandonment and rejection is definitely the BPD

Also, one is a neurological disorder I was born with and will die with. Whereas BPD can be treated with things like DBT.

I was diagnosed with autism as a child, but the question of whether or not I had BPD didn't come up until I was seventeen years old.

 

[Silent_cries]

My tendency to take things literally and the sensory issues are the autism, while my desperate fear of abandonment and rejection is definitely the BPD

What if I'm more afraid of rejection than abandonment? I am afraid of abandonment too, but not nearly as much as rejection probably also bc I enjoy alone time too. I am petrified of getting abandoned when I'm rly struggling though, like when I'm having a breakdown for instance.

 

[ForgottenAgain]

I don't recommend self diagnosing, you could easily relate to several different illnesses and not have any of them.

I was diagnosed with BPD after 2 years of therapy, I can't say I'm thankful for that. Currently I'm not accepting I have BPD, I want to believe I can be cured otherwise I have little reason to live. I'm saying fuck all to diagnosis and trying to live my life while I still have some strength to do so.

 

[Malaria]

What if I'm more afraid of rejection than abandonment? I am afraid of abandonment too, but not nearly as much as rejection probably also bc I enjoy alone time too. I am petrified of getting abandoned when I'm rly struggling though, like when I'm having a breakdown for instance.

That I can't answer, honestly. I'm not a professional and so I can't really evaluate another person like that.

Me knowing I had autism and BPD weren't conclusions I came to on my own. They were things that were told to me by professionals evaluating me. The former when I was a child and the latter when I was in my late teens.

I know I said I "suspected" but that's because I wasn't officially diagnosed at the time. I had various therapists tell me that they think I have the disorder, one even wrote on a paper I have "borderline traits". I didn't pay much attention to that because I was worried more with the fact I had PTSD and other issues. It wasn't until I went about a year or so without therapy that I took the possibility I had BPD more seriously and really looked into the symptoms. Then I went "Oh..."

 

[EmptyHeaded]

They diagnosed me with "ASD, mild (severity level 1). In the DSM-IV, this was referred to as Asperger's disorder."
My ADOS-2 results were actually below the cutoff for ASD, but the examiner said that I had "mild but definite ASD". Do you think she could have been wrong?

They can always be wrong, that's the thing. If you think that they may have been wrong, getting a second opinion might be worth it.
I'll just quote Wikipedia:
"There may be substantial difficulty in distinguishing Asperger syndrome (AS), sometimes called "schizoid disorder of childhood", from SzPD. But while AS is an autism spectrum disorder, SzPD is classified as a "schizophrenia-like" personality disorder. There is some overlap, as some people with autism also qualify for a diagnosis of schizotypal or schizoid PD. However, one of the distinguishing features of schizoid PD is a restricted affect and an impaired capacity for emotional experience and expression. Persons with AS are "hypo-mentalizers", i.e., they fail to recognize social cues such as verbal hints, body language and gesticulation, but those with schizophrenia-like personality disorders tend to be "hyper-mentalizers", overinterpreting such cues in a generally suspicious way. Although they may have been socially isolated from childhood onward, most people with SzPD displayed well-adapted social behavior as children, along with apparently normal emotional function. SzPD also does not require impairments in nonverbal communication such as a lack of eye contact, unusual prosody or a pattern of restricted interests or repetitive behaviors."

 

[Silent_cries]

That I can't answer, honestly. I'm not a professional and so I can't really evaluate another person like that.

Me knowing I had autism and BPD weren't conclusions I came to on my own. They were things that were told to me by professionals evaluating me. The former when I was a child and the latter when I was in my late teens.

I know I said I "suspected" but that's because I wasn't officially diagnosed at the time. I had various therapists tell me that they think I have the disorder, one even wrote on a paper I have "borderline traits". I didn't pay much attention to that because I was worried more with the fact I had PTSD and other issues. It wasn't until I went about a year or so without therapy that I took the possibility I had BPD more seriously and really looked into the symptoms. Then I went "Oh..."

That's ok. Well, I remember my mom said the same thing when we read about BPD that it described me to a t as well. Yet I've had several proffessionals tell me I don't have it since and that it's just my autism really so nowadays I'm really not sure. If only I didn't have my autism, then I'd know for sure. That way I probably would've had my other mental issues diagnosed too instead of just having almost every proffessional ever blame it all on my autism. Smh

 

[sserafim]

They can always be wrong, that's the thing. If you think that they may have been wrong, getting a second opinion might be worth it.
I'll just quote Wikipedia:
"There may be substantial difficulty in distinguishing Asperger syndrome (AS), sometimes called "schizoid disorder of childhood", from SzPD. But while AS is an autism spectrum disorder, SzPD is classified as a "schizophrenia-like" personality disorder. There is some overlap, as some people with autism also qualify for a diagnosis of schizotypal or schizoid PD. However, one of the distinguishing features of schizoid PD is a restricted affect and an impaired capacity for emotional experience and expression. Persons with AS are "hypo-mentalizers", i.e., they fail to recognize social cues such as verbal hints, body language and gesticulation, but those with schizophrenia-like personality disorders tend to be "hyper-mentalizers", overinterpreting such cues in a generally suspicious way. Although they may have been socially isolated from childhood onward, most people with SzPD displayed well-adapted social behavior as children, along with apparently normal emotional function. SzPD also does not require impairments in nonverbal communication such as a lack of eye contact, unusual prosody or a pattern of restricted interests or repetitive behaviors."

The report said:

"When asked a series of questions designed to assess social awareness and social judgement, [name] described that she tries to be like other people in order to fit in. Inside, however, she is not deeply interested in other people and is indifferent to whether she or someone else is well-liked. She could not say what anyone does that annoys her, explaining 'I don't really care'. She said she thinks that what might be annoying about her own behaviors is when she persists on a topic after someone has answered a question."

"[name] said that she sometimes feels lonely but added that she likes this feeling."

"overall, [name] has some awareness of her own and others' emotional states. She has some insight into the basic features of ordinary human relationships — friendship and marriage. She voices that she wants to fit in but describes that her actual social interest in others is limited."

This honestly sounds more like SzPD to me rather than ASD

 

[EmptyHeaded]

The report said that "[name] said that she sometimes feels lonely but added that she likes this feeling."

"overall, [name] has some awareness of her own and others' emotional states. She has some insight into the basic features of ordinary human relationships — friendship and marriage. She voices that she wants to fit in but describes that her actual social interest in others is limited."

This may be worth reading then

 

[Pluto]

I would reiterate a point I've made elsewhere. I'd be more interested in diagnosing the parenting disorders first and foremost.

For parents who dump expectations on their children, the result can be a confused mess. It can be a recipe for an identity crisis. One might try to rebel against all the parental expectations (career, finding a partner, etc.) even though at some level there might well be a desire for those things.

In such a case, what is needed is getting away from empathy-deprived parents and initiating a journey of self-discovery.

 

[penguinl0v3s]

How do you know if you have a personality disorder?

If people regularly refer to you or your thinking as some variation of odd, weird, unusual, or interesting, you should get screened. Much of the time it isn't just a 'quirky personality.'

I wouldn't know. my doctors gave me a bunch of diagnosis, some which i didn't even know why.

Hmm, maybe you should ask. I don't think it's right to keep piling on diagnoses, when there are so many mental disorders that get misdiagnosed with each other bc of overlapping symptoms.

Some egoist who probably cheated their way through school just to earn a piece of paper has to tell it to you based on less than an hour of getting to know you.

It's also worth noting that if you don't trust your doctor's competency, you can take their diagnosis with a grain of salt. I had one stuck up psychiatrist attempt to misdiagnose me to place me on mood stabilizers so that I wouldn't give him any 'trouble', but I got a different psychiatrist that I actually trusted and they told me the other psychiatrist's diagnosis didn't make any sense and were careful in trying to figure out what I could have. After several sessions they still didn't conclusively diagnose me and had some possible diagnoses ruled out, and some ruled in. Trust your gut about who you think knows their shit and who doesn't.

IMO, the best way is getting an official diagnosis. Some disorders can be vague in description, and there are often more things associated we don't know. If you see someone with no social interest, avoiding people... it may be depression, a lot of those people have similar symptoms while having no disorder. I don't recommend self-diagnoses.

I agree. Since so many mental illnesses have overlapping symptoms, you really need to do a differential diagnosis. This means you can't just think about the symptoms that you do have. Someone needs to think about the symptoms that you don't have, so that overlapping diagnoses can be ruled out. Take depressed moods for example, they can indicate so many disorders, not just the ones under the depressive disorder umbrella. It can be a sign of hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone produced) which isn't psychiatric at all. It can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, which is really common and why people in Seattle tend to be more unhappy than people in other parts of the world. It can be a sign of ADHD, because untreated ADHD can ruin your life and then your mood. It can be a sign of addiction or a thousand other things. Unless you're going to learn about every single medical condition to rule out each one, a good doctor can diagnose you better than you.

People are biased on that they see what they match up with, and ignore what they don't match up with. This is why personality tests are so popular, they tell you vague traits that can be associated with a lot of people, so you match up with a lot of those and ignore the ones you don't match with. And then you trust the test's legitimacy.

I think there definitely are personality disorders and mental illnesses. But then, sometimes I wonder what 'normal' is. Sometimes I wonder if any one of us went to a doctors, if we wouldn't come out with some sort of abnormality.

I've known people that are so ridiculously normal that it's funny. Makes me feel like I live in a different world.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

It's also worth noting that if you don't trust your doctor's competency, you can take their diagnosis with a grain of salt. I had one stuck up psychiatrist attempt to misdiagnose me to place me on mood stabilizers so that I wouldn't give him any 'trouble', but I got a different psychiatrist that I actually trusted and they told me the other psychiatrist's diagnosis didn't make any sense and were careful in trying to figure out what I could have. After several sessions they still didn't conclusively diagnose me and had some possible diagnoses ruled out, and some ruled in. Trust your gut about who you think knows their shit and who doesn't.

I don't trust myself either most of the time, I have my own agenda to sabotage myself whenever I can.

 

[penguinl0v3s]

I don't trust myself either most of the time, I have my own agenda to sabotage myself whenever I can.

In that case, you can go with the baseline assumption that if someone confidently diagnoses you within 2 sessions, they are lazy and pretending they're really smart. And if they dismiss you then they're a poor listener and poor listeners can't properly absorb information, thus leading to bad diagnoses.

 

[Ferdinand Bardamu]

Already been said, but get diagnosed. Self-diagnosis is retarded