As I mentioned in my last episode, there is a significant overlap in CPTSD and BPD symptoms, as well as an overlap in PTSD and CPTSD symptoms. This overlap can be seen visually in the graphic below:
As seen, and as stated in my past episodes on the subject, the primary overlap is in the three DSO (disturbances in self-organization) symptoms: relating to relationships, self-image, and affect dysregulation.
Also according to the site where I got this graphic, published by the Australian BPD Foundation Limited, CPTSD can co-exist with approximately 50% of women diagnosed with BPD, while BPD co-exists with only 8% of those diagnosed with CPTSD; and 60% of people with BPD can have PTSD.
My psychiatrist diagnosed me with PTSD, not CPTSD; whether he did that due to CPTSD not technically being a DSM-5 diagnosis or not, I’m not totally sure. I intend to ask him at my next appointment. But I definitely notice the entire spectrum of that graphic in my own experience, with a tendency toward identity disturbances rather than a stable albeit negative self-image and the other BPD – not CPTSD – specific symptoms.
Another thing I’d like to point out that I see with this graphic and illustrated throughout the page is how trauma is a diagnostic criterion for both PTSD and CPTSD, but it is not a diagnostic criterion for BPD. BPD is typically represented as a trauma condition, but it can occur without that traumatic experience as well. Sometimes it’s through genetics – BPD has a tendency to run in families, though I think I’m the only one in my family with it.
This might be my last addition to my CPTSD episodes, for now at least. I’ve had that graphic open on my phone for weeks intending to include it in this post. Now I can finally close that window, thank the Lord. As always, thank you for taking the time to read this far. This blog has really helped me understand my own illnesses to a degree further than I would without it, and doing the research online about these conditions helps me help others better I think.
