I’m a mental health nurse specialising in EUPD, ask me anything

[Pinkplatter]

If you so wish 🙂

This is very interesting, and I want to know more about this, but can't formulate any questions very easily. I don't understand anything about this condition so can you give a little overview? What causes it, what helps it, to what extent can a sufferer control it? Thank you

Those are some big ticket questions.

So very briefly..

In my experience it’s almost always caused by invalidating childhood experiences often associated with abuse.

Medication to manage associated symptoms (anxiety, depression, psychosis) can be helpful as well as certain therapies such as dialectical behavioural therapy.

To what extent a sufferer can manage symptoms is very varied, as with most mental health conditions.

What are the symptoms?

Have you ever challenged the diagnosis and pushed for asd assessment particularly for women?

Good question and I’d add in ADHD.

Again, very varied. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, disordered eating, psychosis, insomnia, apathy, emotional lability, lack of self-identify and poor sense of self, difficulty relating to the world, fear of abandonment, difficulties with interpersonal relationships (there are many more)

Do you think it's over diagnosed? Particularly in neurodivergent women?

Do you think there are any good treatment options?

Yes

Do you enjoy your job? How do you switch off after work?

Why do you think it's so rarely diagnosed in men?

What can a mental health nurse do for someone with this diagnosis? Does everyone with this diagnosis need a mental health nurse?

That’s an interesting question and is a bit of a grey area for me at the moment. I don’t really know how to answer that question. Pressures across mental health services are immense at the moment which unsurprisingly has a detrimental knock on effect on many aspects of my role.

I think this is multifaceted.

Societal bias. Women are often seen as more emotional than men.

Boys are often misdiagnosed with ADHD, ODD and so on from a young age if they’re displaying ‘overly’ emotional behaviour,

For a number of reasons boys/men may be more likely to engage in antisocial behaviour in response to their symptoms than women which means they’re often caught up in the prison system and/ or end up diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder

@Pinkplatter sorry to hear, that must be tough. Let's hope the new government increases investment in mental health services rapidly.
Thank you for everything you do supporting people who are struggling.

What would you advise friends and family of people with EUPD do to stay sane and well themselves?

Well it depends on the type of nurse (inpatient, community etc) and their level of competence (ability to prescribe medication or provide therapy) so very broadly..

Provide practical and emotional support, act as an advocate, co ordinate care with other health professionals or organisations as required, monitor presentation and assess for improvement or deterioration, care plan, risk assess, provide therapy, prescribe/ administer/ review medication, monitor physical health and so on and so on.

No not everyone with this diagnosis needs a mental health nurse.

Are you a mental health nurse?

No I don’t find people with EUPD insufferable as a whole but I know this is a feeling shared by a lot of people and professionals. Of course I’ve found some individual patients/ situations very tiresome/ frustrating/ triggering

No I haven’t. To do this you have to be an ‘approved mental health professional’ and I don’t have this qualification

This probably sounds cliche but this is really individual to the person suffering

Do you believe that people with personality disorders can recover?

Thank you x

That depends on what your definition of recovery is?

I line manage someone with EUPD.

They are very vulnerable and didn't actually reveal it for 18 months. I do what I can to try and relieve any stresses at work and have flexible working in place for them but it is so disruptive.

They are brilliant at their work when on good form, but it's incredibly inconsistent.

Do you find many of your EUPD patients can manage to work? If so - what helps them?