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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sleepygirl on October 15, 2005, at 19:40:01
because I'm sort of avoidant, and insecure, and moody, and distrustful? Do I need to be slapped with a personality disorder label? Does anyone else here find that concept insulting or hurtful? I mean the criteria are so broad as to include soooo many people. Isn't it sort of a catch all for everyone who has difficulty in the non-psychotic realm?
I mean honestly, I put up with soooooo much to become who I am - broken just the same. Did I go through all that so I can be seen as irrevocably flawed, and disordered - avoidant, dependent, paranoid or the dreaded borderline depending on the day? I'm really starting to dislike the so-called "psychologically healthy".
Posted by Angela2 on October 15, 2005, at 20:19:39
In reply to Am I a bad person....., posted by sleepygirl on October 15, 2005, at 19:40:01
I agree that sometimes the label my t has given me is damaging to my self esteem.
Posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2005, at 20:36:59
In reply to Am I a bad person....., posted by sleepygirl on October 15, 2005, at 19:40:01
You are not at all a bad person. I know diagnostic labels can be hurtful. It's a darned shame. And I also think that the diagnosis of a personality disorder is a very tricky one to make. I think it's given out a bit too frequently.
The general criteria for a personality disorder states that the symptoms or characteristics need to be pervasive in a person's life (occuring in several roles) and need to be long-standing (since early adult-hood). In addition, the pattern of behavior needs to be relatively inflexible.
Certainly many people, myself included, can be viewed as having personality traits which are not all that good for us. But that doesn't mean we all have personality disorders. And diagnosing one is something that for me, at least, takes really getting to know the person, observing their functioning over time, or getting a very thorough history. The way I work with patients, I can't do that quickly, and I rarely give the diagnosis of a PD.
Also, PD's are not incurable. People with PD's can learn adaptive coping skills and apply them to stressors and tough situations. To that extent, they are then showing that the pattern of behavior is NOT inflexible, and as such, they are getting "better".
Sorry to ramble so much, and I hope this helped a little.
Short answer for me is that I think folks with PD diagnoses get a bad rap. We all come by our various issues honestly. Nobody asks for psychological problems.
gg
Posted by sleepygirl on October 15, 2005, at 20:38:05
In reply to Re: Am I a bad person....., posted by Angela2 on October 15, 2005, at 20:19:39
You know it's been....about 5 years now with my T, and I've never asked what I'm "labeled"
I'm not sure why it bothers me so much, but it does. I sometimes think it's all very arbitrary. I don't like labels. People take too much "comfort" in labels, neat little boxes, ya know?
Posted by sleepygirl on October 15, 2005, at 20:48:33
In reply to Re: Am I a bad person..... » sleepygirl, posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2005, at 20:36:59
Thanks gg,
I just know that I've always had "problems" and have always done the best I could I guess. I guess I'm getting tired though hearing everyone with interpersonal difficulties, impulsiveness, moodiness referred to dismissively as 'personality disordered', like no spectrum exists.
I don't even know if one of these labels has ever been applied to me. I just hear them all the time, I think of my problems, and think, Uh oh, they better not find out about me! This world does a lot to encourage not sharing much. I've got a whole past I can't even talk about,
1) because it's painful of course
2) because of assumptions that may be made about me
I think mental illness stigma found a politically correct way of staying alive with regard to this issue and/or maybe PD's are just overdiagnosed.
Posted by rainbowbrite on October 18, 2005, at 11:37:36
In reply to Am I a bad person....., posted by sleepygirl on October 15, 2005, at 19:40:01
your not a bad person!!
i think everyone lives within a spectrum (new favorite way of looking at things :-))
The more interesting people have more fluctuations :-)
This is the end of the thread.
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