Triggering (Abuse) - question about personality disorders

[Doesnt_matter]

Hi everybody,
one thing that is bothering me is what caused my personality disorders.
My diagnoses are depression and mixed personality disorders (mostly borderline personality disorder).

There were a few things in my childhood that must have influenced me a bit but I am quite sure that the **** while my youth has mainly caused my problems.

Why do all books say that personality disorders are caused during the first years of your life?

O.K., some "faults" were made by my parents and I was hospitalized a lot as a child because of physical problems but I don't believe that these things caused my mental problems.

But in my youth, I was really bad bullied for many years- it started when I was 13 and ended when I was 21. It wasn't physical bullying but really, really bad social and verbal bullying that destroyed me in a way.

But if I believe the books that cannot be the cause of my personality disorder.

What do you think? Do you believe the stuff that is written? Do you have other information that prove that personality disorders can result from experiences while your youth?

Thanks,
Judith

[Mango]

I can't provide you with any proof but I'll throw in my 2 cents. I've read in various places that a good portion (not all) of people diagnosed with BPD had traumatic experiences as a child/youth. Medical problems and bullying could defintely fit into that traumatic experiences catagory. My personal feeling is that personality disorders are caused by a combination of biological predisposition and life experiences.

[Stellata]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mango

... a good portion (not all) of people diagnosed with BPD had traumatic experiences as a child/youth. Medical problems and bullying could defintely fit into that traumatic experiences catagory. .. .

I agree.

Because of earlier isolation from your parents whilst in hospital, and the vulnerability of physical problems, can already set you up for a vulnerability to later stressors to cause more damage than they otherwise might. Bullying is damaging anyway, but it doesn't always cause borderline etc symptoms.
Events can be cumulative and cause damage the way water slowly breaks down a stone.

[slacker]

remember to separate out your symptoms from psychiatric labels

the PD label is there for medication and treatment purposes. it doesn't 'make' you anything other than you.. its just a tool and its easy to get depersonalised and become pathologised by the whole process

at best the description is helpful but at worst its a stigma

i believe the symptoms are adaptive responses from year dot onwards, that enable you to survive, keep safe, cope with relationships and nasty stuff. often folks when they get older maintain their adaptive coping stuff and it gets hard wired in their brains. but that can change and with the right support and self nurturing you can move mountains

remember a PD is a medical category and it can carry a lot of prejudice with it. like House MD said to someone who saw a patient in a particular, negative way...

"... Spoken like a true circle queen. See, skinny, socially-privileged white people get to draw this neat little circle and everyone inside this circle is normal. Anyone outside the circle should be beaten, broken and reset so they can be brought into the circle. Failing that, they should be institutionalized, or worse, pitied"

i don't do 'normal' and i know i don't have to

keep safe

[Stellata]

When I'm looking at someone on a supportive/therapeutic type I do indeed also tend to see in defence mechanism terms.
Defence mechanisms start as your friend. When they reach their 'use by' date they can become a worst enemy...

[slacker]

amen to that! :/