BPD vs C-PTSD: Is There A Difference?
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) have so many similarities that they are easily confused. While C-PTSD is not a diagnosis in the DSM (America's psychiatric manual), it is widely diagnosed informally. Both stem from trauma but with it is the only cause of C-PTSD, it is not a requirement for a BPD diagnosis.
C-PTSD develops from repeated, prolonged trauma which differentiates it from PTSD, which is the result of a single traumatic incident. C-PTSD shares some symptoms with BPD such as emotion dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, and negative self-image.
However, people with C-PTSD tend to lean into avoidance and disconnection as a result of their negative self-image. People with BPD experience their negative self-image as an unstable sense of self and that creates more volatility rather than avoidance. There is also a greater fear of abandonment in those with BPD.
It's a very nuanced difference and sometimes diagnoses can change or be corrected over time. You can also have both at the same time.
Here at Online DBT Skills, we teach DBT skills in a weekly live group on Zoom. We also offer a self-paced video course that teaches you the skills on your own time (and it's included if you join the live group!). Our program is great for folks that need accountability and non-crisis support in learning skills, whether you have BPD, C-PTSD or neither.
Sources: Psychiatric Times, Psychology Today
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