Aspergers Vs Borderline Personality Disorder?

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I was diagnosed with Asperger's, as well as my psychologist saying I'm "borderline", although I'm unsure if she meant borderline handicapped (mentally). I researched the condition, and I see many similarities with myself and that disease. I tend to have problems with boredom, I fear abandonment, and I'm easily depressed. My emotions are erratic, and I struggled with self-harm during fifth and sixth grade. I have most of the symptoms and personality traits as one with Asperger's, such as obsessional interests, an advanced vocabulary, and a want to talk to adults more than peers. I've also considered Avoidant Personality Disorder, NVLD, and Williams Syndrome (I have the hypermusicality, the short stature, the dental anomalies, the digestive problems, the high vocabulary, the mathematical difficulties, and the hypersociability at a young age), but when I get psychologically evaluated, I will wait and see.

pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Note: Do not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in Criterion 5.-- YES, and it has never been based on any evidence of real abandonment. It happened me w/ my dad and some friends

2. a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation.-- No.

3. identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self. - KINDA, it goes along w/ my mood

4. impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating). Note: Do not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in Criterion 5.-- NO

5. recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior - Suicidal ideation (and actual attempts) and self-mutilating behaviour.

6. affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days). - YES, every school day

7. chronic feelings of emptiness - No, unless suffering from depression

8. inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights) - NO, just as any other person
9. transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms- Somewhat, see explanation below
Stress yes, but no paranoia
Such experiences usually occur in situations in which the individual feels a lack of meaningful relationship- NO, it can happen at any time

They may gamble, spend money irresponsibly, binge eat, abuse substances, engage in unsafe sex, or drive recklessly.- NO, never drink or use drugs, I'm not of wasting money (at least my $), I've no sexual experiences of any kind and have no driving license

Recurrent suicidality is often the reason that these individuals present for help. These self-destructive acts are usually precipitated by threats of separation or rejection or by expectations that they assume increased responsibility.- YES
Easily bored, they may constantly seek something to do- Yes. .


regressing severely after a discussion of how well therapy is going- Never went ti theraoy for any of these issues

Individuals with this disorder may feel more secure with transitional objects (i.e., a pet or inanimate possession) than in interpersonal relationships- Yes, Why not? There are times i'm more tied to my ipod than too any person

I know someone who is diagnosed with both. Some of the the symptoms overlap, but it is possible.

some very interesting viewpoints about BPD and AS.

i was first diagnosed with AS (informally, but supported at that time by a total of 3 mental health professionals). two years later i had a crisis and was diagnosed with BPD.

during that crisis i went to a local psychitaric hospital. i did a long questionnaire, then the mental health team asked me a bunch of questions. at no time did the shrinks ever READ my questionnaire, so they did not see i was already diagnosed with AS. i cannot remember if i also mentioned it verbally. one shrink asked me if my family members have ever been diagnosed with anything, and i went through a list... BPD was on the list, though the person is no longer considered BPD by her own shrinks. anyways, as soon as i mentioned BPD, the shrink said, "well, i'm going to go ahead and say that you have it as well."

! !! !???! !!

for the record, i don't self-harm, i don't lie or manipulate, i am not suicidal, i don't idolize people, i don't have extreme moods, etc. i did have some depression, addiction, etc. over the years, and i had a brutal childhood. but my current self at the time of diagnosis did not really present as BPD - even the shrinks had to base it on a prior diagnosis within my family.

though the diagnosis didn't really fit, i accepted it because it got me the help i needed - i entered into a 4 month therapy program that really helped me to move on from some residual problems i was having.

now, 2 years later, i saw a psychologist for another reason and he questioned whether i ever fulfilled requirements for a diagnosis of BPD. he thinks i may have 'some BPD characteristics', but he doubts the full diagnosis.

on the surface, the two diagnoses can seem similar, especially if a person with AS has experienced childhood trauma.

There is much overlap in mental health diagnosic characteristics, and I don't think enough is known of how the brain works for them to boil it down to anything more than sort of a descriptive taxonomy. The diagnostic process relies on behavior and self-reporting from the subject, and is thereby subject to much uncertainty and subjectivity.

I have PDD-NOS and BPD. I didn't know what BPD meant... I mean, "Borderline Personality Disorder" can mean a lot of things. Now I know it's the borderline between psychotic and not. I was resistant to that diagnosis before because I thought BPD people lied and manipulated, because one doctor said that. But I always knew she was a quack and manipulative herself and a liar herself! Now I know, from having the symptoms read to me, that those aren't even symptoms of it. But I have all the symptoms except for the substance abuse. This explains so much!

Personally, I find that, despite the so called cross over symptoms being described almost exactly the same way, the source cause of these symptoms are totally different.

For example, my difficulty with relationships. One cause is my social awkwardness and lack of knowledge in social rules and expectations, therefore meaning that I struggle to make the connections required to make a friendship. The other cause is my fear of loosing someone. This manifests by causing me to destroy any relations that I have to avoid any rejection, despite such huge desires to not be alone. Also, black and white thinking. I think for AS, this refers to logical thinking by the way that our brains are constructed. For BPD, this refers to emotional response and is more to do with thoughts about people and relationships.

So, despite symptoms sounding the same, they cannot be exactly the same because AS and BPD are completely different. Also, therefore, you cannot rule out one or the other by having one. Nor can you come under the other just because you have one.

Hmm, I'm sure I've posted this stuff before. Never mind.