Personality Disorders Support Group

Personality disorders form a class of mental disorders that are characterized by long-lasting rigid patterns of thought and behaviour. Personality disorders are seen by the American Psychiatric Association as an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it.

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foodiegirl96 02/09/2018

I am new to this site, and am hoping to find friends, particularly those who deal with personality disorders like me. I am open to reciving feedback from those as a form of self improvement. Today, I ask you all this question:

Why might a psychiatrist keep a personality disorder diagnosis away from you?

Last month, I had my first appointment with my psychiatrist. She was quick to diagnose my depression, and then brought up the possibility of having a personality disorder. When I asked her what it may be, she said she can't make a diagnosis right away. She told me that she has to see how the antidepressant works on me. I didn't think I would have to wait to review the medication in order to diagnose my disorder.

I have a history of self-inflicting pain, hiding my true emotions from loved ones. I do this very well, to the point of when I really do express emotions, it seems out of the ordinary, or sometimes overwhelming. Rarely do I inflict pain on others, not intentionally at least. I used to throw things at the wall out of anger, but I always picked up after myself lol. I can also be a people pleaser, especially to those who are emotionally unavailable. With that being said, I come from a very dysfunctional household. My mother is self-centered, and I had to do a lot of parentification in my childhood.

Alot could be said about my childhood, but I would rather have someone ask me questions!

I know that even though through my personal info, I cannot receive a professional diagnosis, but tell me what you think regardless!

Have a good day :)

camaflauge 02/10/2018

Hello, I am not a psychologist or therapist of any kind. I am a simple person who has had some mental disorders in my past and now I am a mother who's daughter has (multiple) dissociate identity disorder and Post traumatic stress disorder. This not an answer to your question just my thought to you. There are so many mental disorders that are so closely related that some of them only different by 1 or 2 symptoms. Medications however do not work for all disorders. Your Psychiatrist may not want to jump to any conclusions of one set disorder until she/he is sure. For Instance a clinic my daughter went to they thought she had Bi-polar and were giving her bi-polar medication, but the medication made her DID worse and did not help. She does not have Bi-polar and once they realized that and found a different medication than she felt better. By trying different medications they can weed out which disorder you do not have and eventually can narrow it down to what you do have. I don't think the Psychiatrist is trying to hide what you have from you, They just want to be sure of what it is so they can properly give you the right treatment to help you. So it is very important that when they give you medication you are very honest about how it makes you feel and make sure you read up on any side effects of the medication and let your Dr. know if you are having any issues with taking the meds. Another thought, My daughter told me the other day, that her Psychologist that she goes to for medication, does not believe in multiple dissociative disorders, so when she is with her the Dr. talks to her as if she has Bi=polar. Now her therapist that she goes to every couple weeks does believe in DID and is helping you learn to become stronger. So some Psychiatrist believe in in personality disorders and some do not. So make sure your Psychologist believes in personality disorders, such as dissociative disorder or multiple personality disorder. I hope this helps. Good Luck .

foodiegirl96 02/10/2018

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my post! I am now taking notes of my experiences with this medication, so hopefully I can figure out everything in the near future!

camaflauge 02/11/2018

Good luck and be strong.

Jillsaundars 02/13/2018

Being diagnosed with a personality disorder is awful,
I would suggest leaving before you get that label

If you want to know how much suffering I've experienced from being diagnosed just message me

legs11 02/15/2018

You cannot make a diagnosis of personality disorder until the patient is at least 18 as what might appear to be personality disorder could just be the usual moodiness and tantrums of a teenager.Your doctor will want to know how you do on the anti depressant but this will not tell her whether you have a personality disorder or not.She will only know for sure when she gets to know you a little better and in particular your personality.The anti depressant may not work or may work for a while (a few months) and then stop working if it is a personality disorder.If its not a personality disorder then the anti depressant may work relieving depression and thus make your personality more rounded and emotionally stable.But if it was personality disorder the emotional instability of the personality would stay irrespective of being on an anti depressant.

foodiegirl96 02/15/2018

I see what you mean, but I am 21 years old. Also, my psychiatrist isn't that interested in my personality per se. She typically just asks questions about whether I have crying spells or not. I can still get triggered while on anti-depressants, and still have intense feelings of inadequacy. I am still not emotionally stable. I am taking EMDR, and that is helping me a little bit.

Thanks for responding!

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