I’ve pretty much known I was BPD since I first heard of it and read the criteria. But a doctor once told me she thought I was bipolar, so I wasn’t sure which or if it even mattered… I’m 38. After a lifetime of feeling broken I finally went to a therapist and a new psychiatrist, and decided I wouldn’t mention BPD or my thoughts, and just see what they said. Sure enough…. “You meet all of the criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.” I also scored high on the ACE thing, which surprised me when she explained it.

I was not surprised, but hearing her say this out loud was…. Scary? Validating? I like this therapist (I’ve never seen one more than once), and she talked about the fact that there are a lot of things we can work on to help me manage my emotions. I said “ok,
Let’s do this”

I guess I just wanted to share. I feel relieved. I feel hopeful. I feel like this was the first step in *doing something* and not just ignoring it for another 38 years.

What were your thoughts when you first heard your diagnosis?