Sertraline and BPD

[10littledinosaurs]

Good morning
In July I self referred for counselling and was told I have severe depression and anxiety, attachment issues and maybe borderline personality disorder. I've been on the waiting list for therapy since then but I know the lists are long and am still struggling.
So I reached out to a service available to me through work and spoke with a MH nurse, told her what had been going on and she agreed that in her words I "most likely" have BPD. She advised I asked for a referral to a psychiatrist for a diagnosis/ to rule it out.
I rang the GP to ask for a referral and the GP was a bit and brushed over my symptoms and the fact I've spoken with 2 MH services and suggested I try sertraline to see if this was just depression. At this point I mumbled "OK", I think she heard the disappointment in my voice and said she would put the referral in. She prescribed the sertraline anyway so I started taking it yesterday.
Does anyone else take this medication for BPD?
I'm aware I don't have a diagnosis yet but it's looking likely. If anyone has any experience of taking this medication with BPD please can you share your experience?
Thank you

They really don't like to diagnose borderline/ emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Google borderline personality disorder and stigma.

I'm aware of the stigma. Pretty sure only a psychiatrist can actually diagnose hence why the people I have spoken to already haven't.

What are you hoping for from a diagnosis? BPD is not treated with medication but with DBT.

If your GP was reluctant to refer you to the CMHT it may be because they feel you may not meet the threshold for secondary services. If you are already awaiting therapy, and have started medication, there may not be anything further CMHT or a psychiatrist can offer.

It may be worth trying the meds and seeing how you feel first

I was misdiagnosed with BPD. I actually have ADHD, which is why I suffer from emotional dysregulation.

As I was being treated for a condition I didn’t have sertraline didn’t make any difference, however, my ADHD prescription has worked wonders.

Medication can be used to treat the symptoms of BPD, so if you are depressed and anxious then sertraline may be helpful.

As above, I'd caution against seeking a diagnosis that will cause you more problems than it will solve. What help are you looking for?

I self referred to the CMHT, I didn't go through the GP, this was the first time I had spoken to them about my mental health. I chased the CMHT and they said they were unable to refer me to a psychiatrist which is why I asked the GP to do this.
2 HCP's have told me I probably have BPD, so I would like to see the psychiatrist to either rule it out or see if they agree so I can then move forward with my life and try to access the correct therapy.
I started the sertraline yesterday as the referral will take a while anyway so there's time to see if it does indeed help. So far I have had a raging headache since taking the first dose yesterday even with paracetamol and ibuprofen.
I wish someone could just tell me what's wrong with me

You cannot self refer to the CMHT, you will have self referred to your local talking therapies I would imagine. Try and focus less on getting a diagnosis - it is not going to fix the problem. Mental health diagnoses can be quite fluid and sometimes subjective, so it's not the same as getting a diagnosis for a physical health problem and then getting the treatment.

Give the sertraline some time to work, and read up on DBT skills whilst you wait for your referral to see if any of it helps.

I'm not focusing on getting a diagnosis I'm doing what the MH nurse I spoke to yesterday advised me to do.
Yes self referred to the local talking therapies then, my mistake.
My question was for anyone who has a diagnosis of BPD/EUPD and takes this medication.
I'm aware it's not as simple as a physical problem, but from what I do know one of the most helpful treatments is DBT, which I won't get unless I see the psychiatrist so they can assess.
If this is not BPD, then I can go from there.

I think the problem is you will find many or most people with BPD/EUPD disagree with the diagnosis/label. For example, I have taken sertraline, and have that diagnosis but to me it's irrelevant because I think I'm misdiagnosed. There is no medication for BPD. I took the sertraline for postnatal depression. It kind of helped but I find that SSRIs stop me sleeping.

I was diagnosed with traits of BPD as well as my main diagnosis which is Schizoaffective disorder.

I totally disagree with the traits of BpD diagnosis. I don't feel I have even got traits of a personality disorder.
But now thanks to what my psychiatrist says, I'm labelled with a personality disorder.

I was very paranoid recently due to psychosis (a symptom of Schizoaffective disorder) but the cmht worker tried to say I was 'being over emotional' due to the Bpd traits.
I said no, I am not. I don't feel any emotions just paranoid. I told him I wanted to die because I can't live with the paranoia and he ended the call.

Luckily I'm on the waiting list for psychological therapy for the Schizoaffective disorder & I'm on
Medication for Schizoaffective which isn't fully effective obviously...

Basically you could take Sertraline for your depressive feelings.. stick with the side effects as they take a couple of weeks to go usually.
But don't rush to get a BPD diagnosis... it is a real stigma and once you have that label you will find you may get treated badly by medical & mental health staff.
Also bear in mind that women in particular are often misdiagnosed with BPD.

Hey love, just wanted to say you're not alone in this — I'm also on Zoloft (Sertraline), and while I have a BPD diagnosis, I’ve found it super helpful, especially for managing the intense mood swings and anxiety. It doesn’t magically fix everything, but it definitely smooths out some of the harder edges and makes things feel more manageable day-to-day. You're doing the right thing by reaching out and advocating for yourself — that takes real strength.

One thing I’d suggest: make sure you're getting high-quality Sertraline. It really does make a difference. If it helps at all, I always order mine from this pharmacy: delivery-service24.com/buy-zoloft-uk.html, they've been super reliable, and I always notice the positive effect when I stay consistent with it. Hang in there, and don’t be afraid to keep pushing for that referral too. You deserve the support. 💛