We’ve talked about Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) before on this blog (What is Borderline Personality Disorder? – Quiet Minds, but did you know that it has a complex relationship to Psychosis?
According to Dr. Daniel Fox, a licensed psychologist and author who hosts a video series on BPD, the term “borderline” was given to BPD because it was initially seen as being “on the border” of psychosis. In studies, 24% of individuals with BPD had psychosis symptoms and 75% of individuals reported dissociative symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
Individuals who struggle with BPD have a higher likelihood of experiencing a psychotic break in the future. Also, BDP can be accompanied by a secondary psychological disorder such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression (major depressive disorder).
All of this is why BPD is such a complicated diagnosis that sometimes gets overlooked in a rushed setting like an Emergency Room when a person is brought in for a 72-hour hold. In these situations, doctors can make the assumption that what the patient is experiencing is schizophrenia and not a more complex case of BPD. A good diagnosis is key to proper treatment.
If you struggle with BPD and you’re concerned about encountering psychosis, it’s important to remember that symptoms of psychosis are usually environmental, which is to say, they’re brought on by your environment. Time of high stress are when a person with BPD are at their most vulnerable for experiencing psychosis. You can safeguard yourself during times of high stress by maintaining a balanced daily routine, staying on your medication, practicing self-care, and keeping up with your doctor and therapy appointments.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out Dr. Fox’s series on YouTube about BPD and Psychosis here: https://youtu.be/pWF4mEZzaws?si=o8nTwHR3wBOxc51V
Busted: Myths about Psychosis
There is so much misunderstanding when it comes to psychosis in our society. I’m willing to bet that the majority of people couldn’t tell you what psychosis is, let alone what it is not. Here are a few myths people have held about psychosis and the truth behind them:
Myth: If you experience Psychosis, you’re a Psychopath
Fact: Psychosis and Psychopathy are two different things
Remember the movie Psycho? Well, there’s a reason it’s a horror movie. People with psychosis are experiencing an often scary and temporary disconnect from reality, while those experiencing psychopathy have a mental health condition in which they may abuse or harm others. The major difference is that those with psychosis are not normally prone to harming others while people who are psychopathic will deliberately hurt other people.
Myth: Psychosis leads to having “split personalities”
Fact: You’re thinking of Dissociative Identity Disorder, not Psychosis
You’ve probably heard people say, “she seems like she’s about to snap”. A misunderstanding of psychosis is that it can be brought on suddenly, not over a period of time, and can cause someone’s personality to split into one or more forms. According to Recovery Village.com, “Psychosis is a disconnect from reality and will change how the person affected by it perceives reality. However, their personality will remain mostly the same and they will typically interact with their altered state reality in a way that is consistent with their personality.”
Interestingly, people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have a mental health condition in which they feel that two or more separate identities are inhabiting their physical body. Switching between these personalities is often associated with a change in behavior, but it does not include symptoms of psychosis.
Myth: It won’t happen to you
Fact: Psychosis can happen to anyone
Though Quiet Minds West Virginia focuses on first-episode psychosis, which typically happens to adolescents or young adults, the fact is that psychosis can happen to anyone at any age. In the United States, three percent of the population will experience a psychotic episode at some point during their lifetime.
Medication and recreational drug use are sometimes to blame for psychotic episodes, but in most cases, there is no cause. Psychosis has been seen at many points throughout a human lifetime, from experiencing it postpartum to being brough on by dementia.