Can BPD be misdiagnosed as MDD?

Major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly co-occurs with BPD. Patients with BPD often present with depressive symptoms. It can be difficult to distinguish between BPD and MDD, especially when the two disorders co-occur.

Can BPD be misdiagnosed as depression?

Key points. Depression, specifically major depressive disorder, is comorbid in 41 to 83 percent of those with BPD. Those with BPD often are misdiagnosed with depression, while BPD goes undetected until much later. BPD is often confused as an affective disorder (depressive or bipolar), but proof is in the treatment.

What is commonly misdiagnosed as borderline personality disorder?

BPD Looks Like So Many Other Mental Health Conditions

People with BPD typically also meet the criteria for multiple other diagnoses, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and so on.

Do I have MDD or BPD?

Both disorders are characterized by shifts in affective states, but MDD tends to be more episodic and fixed while BPD is typically enduring and reactive. Several studies have shown that BPD probands have a higher prevalence of affective disorders in their relatives compared to other personality disorders.

How can you tell the difference between depression and BPD?

Distinguishing Depressive Symptoms and BPD

Depressive symptoms that occur in those with BPD are due to an identifiable stressor (i.e., instance of rejection, perceived abandonment) but depression remits when the stressor is removed or the relationship is restored.

What a Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Episode Looks Like

How do therapists know if you have BPD?

Personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder, are diagnosed based on a: Detailed interview with your doctor or mental health provider. Psychological evaluation that may include completing questionnaires.

Can you have BPD and major depressive disorder?

BPD and Depression: Scope of the Problem

There is a very high rate of comorbidity between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression. 1 This means many people who have BPD also experience problems with depressed mood. One study found that about 96% of patients with BPD met criteria for a mood disorder.

How do you rule out MDD?

What is MDD confused with?

Several psychiatric disorders are commonly misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD) but may actually be bipolar disorder, pseudobulbar affect disorder (PBA), and post-traumatic depression (PTD), said the NEI chairman.

Can BPD look like depression?

Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) may experience a qualitatively distinct depression which includes “mental pain.” Mental pain includes chronic, aversive emotions, negative self-concept, and a sense of pervasive helplessness.

What is the most commonly misdiagnosed mental disorder?

“BPD is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed mental health conditions,” according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Why is borderline so hard to diagnose?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms of this disorder overlap with many other conditions, such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and even eating disorders.

Is borderline personality disorder overdiagnosed?

It is characterized by unpredictable moods, bursts of emotions, extreme instability in relationships, and distorted self-image. Borderline Personality Disorder is a complicated psychiatric disorder, and is often misdiagnosed.

How often does BPD get misdiagnosed?

One study cited that almost 40% of people who were diagnosed with BPD were provided with a misdiagnosis of BD at some point in their lifetime in comparison to only 10% of people in the general population receiving a misdiagnosis of BD. The exact reasoning for this high rate of misdiagnosis is debated among researchers.

How do you prove BPD?

Is BPD on a spectrum?

It is now clear that DSM-IV-defined BPD is a heterogeneous construct that includes patients on the mood disorder spectrum and the impulsivity spectrum (Siever and Davis, 1991), in contrast to the original speculation that these patients might be near neighbors of patients with schizophrenia or other psychoses.

Why do you think bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder?

Bipolar disorder may be mistaken for depression partly because depression is often the first mood episode (rather than mania) for many people. It's also more common for people with bipolar disorder to first seek professional help for their depressive symptoms, since mania feels less problematic.

Is MDD a lifelong diagnosis?

Major depressive disorder isn't something that eventually “passes.” While most people feel sad at times in their lives, major depression is when a person is in a depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.

What triggers MDD?

Major depressive disorder tends to come in episodes. These episodes may be triggered by a diverse range of factors, from the loss of a loved one to seasonal changes or medication side effects. In some cases, another health condition may contribute to symptoms of depression.

What are the 9 symptoms of MDD?

What is the average onset for MDD?

Although major depressive disorder occurs more commonly in the adult population, major depressive disorder can occur at any age. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the average age of onset for major depressive disorder is 32.5 years.

How long does an episode of MDD last?

Depending on the severity of each circumstance, depressive episodes can last anywhere from a few days to months at a time. Those suffering from major depressive disorder can even experience a depressive episode spanning from three to 10 months.

What other disorders overlap with BPD?

BPD typically coexists with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Symptoms of these conditions may lead the clinician to miss the diagnosis of personality disorder entirely.

Do antidepressants work for BPD?

A number of research studies have demonstrated that certain types of antidepressants are effective in treating specific symptoms of BPD. For example, SSRIs can reduce emotional instability, impulsivity, self-harm behaviors, and anger. MAOIs have also been shown to effectively treat emotional instability.

Do people with BPD have long depressive episodes?

The other way around, mood disorders are highly prevalent in BPD patients with an 83% lifetime prevalence of comorbid MDD (15). Patients suffering from both, depression and BPD, seem to be more likely to experience a chronic course of depression (16) and BPD is a robust predictor of persistence of MDD (17).