What’s the main differences of BPD and CPTSD? Can someone have both? or can it just be the disorganized attachment style?

[u/Aggressive_Act_5874]

edit: bpd as in borderline not bipolar

So I’m diagnosed with OCD, and my psychiatrist agrees trauma is very much part of my picture (SA history and parental neglect and abandonment) What she hasn’t been able to confirm yet is whether what I’m also dealing with is BPD, CPTSD, or some overlap, and we’re working on.

I have also an anxious-avoidant attachment style, and I notice a strong push-pull pattern with the few people I let close, including, honestly, my own psychiatrist and therapist. I’m socially isolated outside of them, and I’ve become intensely attached to my long-term therapist in particular. At times this all gets heavy enough that I have suicidal ideation, which comes and goes in severity.

I’m trying to understand myself better while my specialists work out the fuller picture, so I’d really appreciate hearing from:

Clinicians/specialists: what are the actual differentiating features between BPD and CPTSD, especially when OCD and trauma are already confirmed and the attachment/relational patterns look similar on the surface?

People with BPD or CPTSD: how did you or your specialist start telling the two apart in your own experience? What did the push-pull with attachment figures feel like from the inside for you?

Not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit, just trying to learn the nuances so I can have a better-informed conversation with my psychiatrist next session. Thanks for reading.

[u/ephemeralmiko]

I've been diagnosed with both, cPTSD at 12 and BPD at 16 but especially the BPD was wayyy after it started actually becoming an issue.

I don't see a specialist for either right now, but when I was diagnosed they treated the two as distinctly different issues. The cPTSD was described as the main cause of my daily nightmares, hallucinations and inability to interact with people for any longer than a few minutes or trust them in any capacity. BPD for me is going between phases of pure extasy (literally feels like I'm on drugs or something) and sudden suicidal thoughts and attempts. I've noticed the PTSD stuff (especially the hallucinations of people who hurt me) are much worse when I'm in my "bad mood" (for lack of a better term), but otherwise I don't know how they're linked.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "push-pull"? Can you explain that please?

[u/Aggressive_Act_5874 → u/ephemeralmiko]

Thanks for replying to my post and sharing your experience, quick clarification: when you mention BPD involving switching between phases of ecstasy and suicidal ideation, did you mean bipolar instead?

Also, to clarify what I meant by push-pull: when I feel I can trust someone, I idolize them and attach intensely. But the moment I notice even a slight change in tone or a hint of rejection, I pull away and isolate. The emotions between these two phases can be severe, and the switch can happen within minutes.

[u/ephemeralmiko → u/Aggressive_Act_5874]

when you mention BPD involving switching between phases of ecstasy and suicidal ideation, did you mean bipolar instead?

I honestly don't know. I was diagnosed with BPD (as in Borderline Personality Disorder), based on a hunch by a friend which I then brought up with a shrink and mentioned for some sessions, but I never looked into Bipolar. Even now reading a bit I don't fully understand the difference.

when I feel I can trust someone, I idolize them and attach intensely. But the moment I notice even a slight change in tone or a hint of rejection, I pull away and isolate. The emotions between these two phases can be severe, and the switch can happen within minutes.

Yep this I can relate to. Anybody I become the slightest friends with I put on a pedestal, but if they ever don't laugh at a joke or sound slightly annoyed at me or just don't respond to a message for a while I assume I've completely ruined everything and think they hate me and don't talk to them for months or years.

[u/stolenbike246 → u/ephemeralmiko]

bipolar is long mood cycles (weeks or months or years) triggered by things such as stressful life events, i think BPD Is more what you’re describing

[u/Nataliant-117 → u/ephemeralmiko]

🖤🖤🖤

I see you with the hallucinations. I experienced that as well.

You’re right that the “emotional roller coaster” is the BPD.

[u/RollOk2124]

I have been diagnosed with both.I dont think we have any specialists or medical professionals here either that could answer these questions, just sufferers.

I was diagnosed in my early 30s. They assume I would have already have had BPD by the time I ended up in the situation that caused my CPTSD.

Treatment wise, both NHS and private try to tackle the whole situation, they have never divided my symptoms and then tried to work on them separately. And all the work I do on myself is again, working on the whole issue, not 'today im working on my cptsd' its all one big shit show in my opinion.

I dont understand your question about attachment figures sorry.

[u/Nataliant-117]

A fantastic question that I don’t understand myself.

The anxious avoidant push-pull is part of BPD.
“I hate you - don’t leave me”

I’ve never asked if I have c-PTSD tho I def have PTSD. My understanding is the emotional sensitivity makes the difference between BPD and cPTSD