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Autism And Borderline Personality Disorder

James19932024

Hi,

i was diagnosed with Autism in November 2023, but during the early to mid summer of that year, 2 life changing events happened to me, i started to "go to" a really dark place and my mental health declined sharply. i did lots of research and it "turns out", that i might have Borderline Peronality Disorder. i even printed of the "symptoms / signs" of BPD (1 for me and 1 each for my parents). we "scored" our individually in a different room ad we all think hat i might have BPD (to get diagnosed with BPD you need to meet 5 out of the 9 criteria and with me and my parents scores, i meet 6 or 7 out of 9. i then made an appoitment with my GP and she said "oh, dont worry, its just your autism" me and my family know that i have it, but how do i get to be "tested" for BPD? mor eimportantly, can you "have Autism and BPD as comorbid?

  • Whilst you can have both, it would appear that many people especially women and girls are more likely to be diagnosed wrongly with BPD instead of ASC. If you and your family have had life changing events happen in the last couple of years, could it be that you're al still dealing with them and not that you all have BPD? Does BPD run in families?

  • Hi there.

    I was diagnosed as autistic three years after being diagnosed with BPD, so yes, they can absolutely co-occur, and many people have both diagnoses. While some traits might overlap, like emotional sensitivity or difficulties with relationships, they are distinct conditions, and it’s important to get support for both if they’re affecting your life. From my experience, autism traits stem from how our brains are wired, whereas BPD traits are often linked to childhood trauma.

    To get assessed for BPD, you’ll need a referral to a psychiatrist, which might involve being referred to your local secondary mental health services. It’s helpful to go in with a clear idea of the type of treatment you think will benefit you, as unfortunately, navigating mental health services often feels like a battle—you may need to advocate strongly for the right support. It shouldn’t be this way, but it’s the reality for many of us. Mental health services often rely heavily on medication and can be reluctant to offer more comprehensive treatment, and sadly, there is still a lot of stigma among professionals around BPD.

    That said, I was fortunate to attend a psychotherapy program designed for people with BPD, which included several types of treatment that I found helpful in some ways. However, being autistic means I’ll always have struggles due to how my brain functions, and BPD treatments won’t address those challenges. If you’ve experienced childhood trauma, pursuing a BPD diagnosis and treatment could definitely be worthwhile, as addressing those issues can bring its own benefits.

    Please keep reaching out to your GP for support if you’re having dark thoughts.