EUPD/BPD diagnosis

[WorriedaboutSanity]

I am in a bit of a state at the moment, as I have just found out that apparently I was diagnosed with EUPD in 2008.

I suffer from quite bad anxiety, but don't recognise most of the other symptoms and am very confused by this. I don't suffer from paranoia, have never had any psychotic episodes, am not prone to impulsive behaviour involving drugs or alcohol, I have fairly stable friendships and family relationships (although I am single), I am not prone to paranoia and although I do have episodes of low mood I don't have extreme mood swings. I don't have difficulty remaining in steady employment.

Ironically this bombshell has massively increased my anxiety which has been improving.

For balance I should say that I did take an overdose in 2003 which obviously would have informed the assessment. I have had periods of bad anxiety since then, but that is my main symptom.

Can anyone offer any advice or reassurance? I'm not saying a diagnosis of a mental health condition is "bad" in itself, but I just don't recognise this discription and am now starting to doubt my own sanity as I don't understand where this diagnosis has come from.

I'd be especially grateful for any advice from anyone with training in this area.

How do you know you were diagnosed? Is it simply somewhere in your health record? Are you sure it’s not a mistake?

My GP health record says I’ve been diagnosed with a serious genetic condition. I haven’t. It was suspected due to some unusual blood test results years ago and I had the genetic testing done on the NHS. I am a carrier (1 genetic marker, but not both), but I don’t have the condition because you need both genetic markers. I’ve left it there rather than fighting to have it corrected because the GP told me that my dc should be tested in young adulthood, so figured it would be easier to make the case if it’s noted on my medical record. These things happen more than you realise.

I've been in contact with NHS talking therapy services again recently because of a period of severe anxiety over the last few months.

That's very interesting what you say about there being a mistake on your health record. That would fit with the fact I wasn't told the diagnosis at the time.

I definitely think the diagnosis itselfj is a mistake, but then of course you get into a sort of Catch 22 situation...

No training in this area, but a similar experience.
I was diagnosed in 2007, but had no idea until 2014 when I was told when in hospital.
Sadly, a lot of women who present with just a couple of the symptoms of BPD (usually self harm and emotional dysregulation) are often just fobbed with it, and it put into their notes. Sometimes, they are misdiagnosed, and it is something like ASD instead.

If you are certain that BPD does not apply to you, then push for a reassessment.

Thank you - that is reassuring. I'm trying to be honest with myself but I just can't make the diagnosis fit.

If this were a diagnosis of something physical I didn't agree with (which has happened to me on more than one occasion) I'd have far more confidence in my convictions.

I have been diagnosed with EUPD, CPTSD, ADHD, GAD, depression, psychosis...I could continue but it gets boring!

You can peel a label off a jar of strawberry jam and replace it with a label that says marmalade, but it will still be strawberry jam. In other words, you are still you, whatever they label you with.

I'm a therapist and have lost count of
the number of women I've seen who've had a BPD/EUPD diagnosis only for
it later to be realised
that they're autistic.
It's a very damaging diagnosis, in
my opinion. Always given to
girls and women too,
rarely men.

Personality disorders are contentious. BPD is one of the worst labels to get stuck with because of the way you're treated by professionals. Those with the diagnosis are seen as very difficult to treat and manage.

It's often misdiagnosed and the person may actually be suffering from trauma or C PTSD. The symptoms are sometimes a phase rather than a personality disorder.

Thank you, this is all quite reassuring.

I had therapy for ten years and my therapist never once suggested I had any sort of personality disorder.

Op I work in mental health and we see this a lot. First you need to find out who did the diagnosis, for a true diagnosis it would needed to have come from a psychiatrist after an assessment. Sometimes this label is added as "bpd traits" this is quite common in mental health setting as it means you have some traits but no full diagnosis given, or you wouldn't meet a full diagnostic criteria.
Second, there's a lot more to bpd than being paranoid. Do you struggle with forming/maintaining relationships? Are you concerned for being abandoned? Did you have a difficult up bringing with lack of emotional security. Do you struggle to regulate your emotions and self regulate. They're the type of symptoms we'd normally see in a person with that diagnosis.
If you think it's an error you can ask for it to be removed 😁

Hello. I have BPD but for some reason this has translated as "bipolar disorder" in my notes. I went to a midwife appointment and she asked me how my bipolar was!

So mistakes do happen!

Thanks again everyone who responded. So I managed to speak to a nurse and it turns out that it was a mistake - a misinterpretation of what was written in my notes. Seems it's not uncommon!

Glad you got a good outcome OP! Worrying how frequently this happens!!

Since they changed the criteria for EUPD nearly all women who come into contact with mental health services could be given the diagnosis.
I wouldn't challenge it as they will view that as confirming the diagnosis.
I would just ignore it & every time you are asked for your diagnosis give the ones you have & don't mention bpd/EUPD.
It's poor psychiatry & lazy mental health professionals rather than anything about you.