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The success of psychiatric treatment is almost always dependent on the therapist finding the right diagnosis for the patient. The problem is that’s not always an easy thing to do, even for an experienced therapist. For the benefit of the patient, the therapist cannot afford to be guessing at the diagnosis.
Where things get complicated is when patients are struggling with psychological disorders that were created by trauma. This can get especially complicated when the patient is a child or teenager.
While trauma often holds the blame for a lot of psychological disorders, there are a couple of diagnoses that seem to appear in patients more often than others. Those two disorders would be Borderline Personality Disorder (BDP) and Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD). With that said, there’s another layer to this worth considering. In recent years, the psychiatric community has expanded the PTSD diagnosis to another level. Experts refer to this higher level of diagnosis as Complex PTSD (CPTSD).
If you’re someone struggling with your mental health and have a history of trauma, it’s important to know the differences of Borderline Personality Disorder vs CPTSD. Hopefully, this information will help you understand that with which you or a family member are dealing.
What is Borderline Personality Disorder?
Borderline Personality Disorder is a disorder that affects the way someone views themselves and the people around them. The distorted view of oneself is often born out of fear that might have been caused by a traumatic event the individual experienced. Without treatment, a BPD condition can lead to a host of other psychological disorders that could pop up in the future.
To better understand what is BPD, you should take a look at the following symptoms:
The evidence of any combination of these symptoms would paint a picture of someone who may be suffering.
What is CPTSD?
Any discussion about what is CPTSD should start with the definition of PTSD. According to the Mayo Clinic website: “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.”
With this definition serving as a baseline for defining Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder, the question becomes: “what additional information carries the PTSD over to Complex PTSD?”
Keep in mind that PTSD is caused by a traumatic event that happens once or twice to traumatize the individual. Complex PTSD occurs when the individual experiences the trauma over and over again, think ongoing sexual or physical abuse. The chronic nature of the trauma distorts the person’s core identity and significant emotional dysregulation. In addition to having some of the same symptoms as someone with a PTSD diagnosis, the other symptoms of Complex PTSD include:
What are the Similarities and What’s the Difference?
When looking at a comparison between Borderline Personality Disorder vs CPTSD, the ordinary layman might have difficulty distinguishing between these two disorders. That’s likely because they will see so many similarities.
First, trauma is the driving force for both disorders. It’s also fair to say both disorders are driven by many of the same traumatic events. Experts can find other similarities by looking at the ways victims react when they have either of these diagnoses. The trauma causes both groups to alienate to some degree from others, mood swings (intense highs and low), panic from abandonment, and concentration issues.
Yes, there are plenty of similarities, but there are also distinct differences. For instance, Complex PTSD victims are usually able to set aside memories of their trauma after healing through therapy. Borderline Personality Disorder victims will continue to carry the trauma in memory long after healing. At times, this causes relapses of emotional problems.
Another difference is victims of Complex PTSD can quickly reset with calming stimuli. This doesn’t help with victims of Borderline Personality Disorder. Acknowledgment of the pain from the trauma is what usually calms these victims.
Finally, both groups react differently to their triggers. While victims of Complex PTSD will generally be able to identify their triggers quicker and prevent themselves from overreacting, victims of Borderline Personality Disorder will generally react more intensely, immediately putting their psychosis on full display.
How to Treat BPD and CPTSD
Regardless of which disorder is evident, the treatment process will largely be the same. With adults, treatment usually includes a combination of medication (antidepressants and antipsychotics) and evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). These types of therapies are effective because they require the patient to gain an understanding of their negative thoughts or feelings. By doing so, patients should be able to develop better coping skills that target their negative thoughts or feelings.
With children, the psychiatric treatment community likes to avoid using medications whenever possible. Instead, they put more emphasis on therapy, often using the same kinds of evidence-based therapies.
Mission Harbor not overly concerned about which diagnosis you might have. What we would like to see is you coming in and letting us help formulate the proper diagnosis on your behalf. From there, we should be able to create a treatment plan that could help you lead a happier life. If you’re ready to get help or know someone who is, contact us today.
The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.
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