Borderline Personality Disorder or Trans (Non Binary)

[Mikka55]

Its been a while since I have posted on this site.   Basically back in Dec 2016. I broke up with my fiance and met someone new.   
This is a very sensitive topic for me and made me realize something.
   After meeting my date,  she told me she has depression,  I told her I might have it too and anxiety.   After a month,  she told me something and I snapped.   After A week we were both cool and I told her I was sorry. Then I  wanted to know more about mental illnesses, so searched a few topics online,  in order to support her better. 
   So I came across this "Borderline Personality Disorder". Sounds alot like me when I first meet someone.
   So what does this have to do with being gender fluid?   Does my BPD also change my gender and does that explain why I shift between genders. Does that still make me Gender Fluid?  Or Is it because of my BPD....

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Dena]

I doubt it. Being transgender is biological in nature and is defined as being uncomfortable with your birth gender. It possible to have another condition unrelated to transgenderism. We have member who are autistic, bipolar or have depression unrelated to being transgender. Therapy is advised to ensure that a secondary condition will not interfere with your ability to make gender related decision but a secondary condition shouldn't normally interfere with your gender treatment.

[barbie]

Yes. I also think there is no relationship between BPD and transgenderism.

People with BPD are extremely selfish, exploiting their victims by sophisticated psychological warfare. Typically, they had serious problems from their parents, especially lack of care from their mother.

barbie~~

[amberwaves]

Hi Milka,. This was a question I had to sort through as well.  I have BPD.  I spent years trying to figure out what was wrong with me.  Then years trying to convince the medical community that this was the case.  BPD is a terrible disorder that takes a lifetime to overcome.

As to being transgender and having BPD I took a slow approach.  There can be some confusion due to BPD's inherent unstable sense of self.  I experimented and just observed my feelings.  The biggest indicator to me was after about 3 months I still felt significantly better expressing myself feminine.  I am nonbinary and lean feminine, but there is a lot of fluidity to me.  I discussed this with my therapist and she agreed with me that my gender issues were genuine and not likely the result of BPD.

I still suffer from BPD, obviously.  The mood swings are actually better on HRT than they were with The flooding my system.  I recover significantly faster from blow ups and self stabilize much faster.  It's still a chore and an effort sometimes though.

Don't let a possible diagnosis deter you from doing what makes you happy.  I recommend getting a therapist and working through things.  The hard part is getting past the impulsivity to just dive right in to things.  Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Hugs,
Amber

[maksim]

Hi Mikka,
I also have BPD, diagnosed right shortly after I turned 18. I've been in therapy since I was 12. The BPD really began to rear its ugly head when I was around 14-15.
There has been a very big question surrounding my gender identity regarding whether or not I was actually transgender, because the events that caused my BPD and PTSD heavily surrounded my biological sex.
Like Amber said, BPD is often characterized by instability in most areas of life, including sense of self. It took 8 years from the time I was 10 for people to believe me that I'm actually trans, initially because I was "too young" and then because I was "too mentally ill."
But like everyone else has said, there is a disconnect between being trans and having BPD. While BPD can influence the way you view yourself and your gender in certain ways, if you have a consistent feeling about being genderfluid, then you're probably genderfluid.
With BPD it's also very difficult to pin down certain consistencies like that, and because of that it's likely you'll spend a while trying to figure this out, which is absolutely okay! In fact, I think taking some time to really notice it yourself is a good thing.

I wish you luck in figuring this out!

[p]

You should be careful about self-diagnosis, especially with borderline personality disorder. Even professionals have trouble diagnosing BPD.

From the National Institutes on Mental Health: "Unfortunately, BPD is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. A licensed mental health professional experienced in diagnosing and treating mental disorders—such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker—can diagnose BPD based on a thorough interview and a comprehensive medical exam, which can help rule out other possible causes of symptoms."

Now that last part is important--ruling out other possible causes of symptoms. So instead of BPD causing your gender fluidity, gender dysphoria could actually be causing your BPD-like symptoms. A professional could help to sort this out if these symptoms are distressing you.

[Mikka55]

You should be careful about self-diagnosis, especially with borderline personality disorder. Even professionals have trouble diagnosing BPD.

From the National Institutes on Mental Health: "Unfortunately, BPD is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. A licensed mental health professional experienced in diagnosing and treating mental disorders—such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker—can diagnose BPD based on a thorough interview and a comprehensive medical exam, which can help rule out other possible causes of symptoms."

Now that last part is important--ruling out other possible causes of symptoms. So instead of BPD causing your gender fluidity, gender dysphoria could actually be causing your BPD-like symptoms. A professional could help to sort this out if these symptoms are distressing you.

Thank You,  And I understand. I already made the progress in booking and finding a psychiatrist.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[p]

I wish you every success with your therapist!