PTSD, C-PTSD and BPD - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, & BPD

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, & BPD

Order The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook by Dr. Fox:

In this video we discuss the overlap and confusion related to PTSD, C-PTSD, and BPD. These three disorders cause so many individuals, professionals and non-professionals, to be uncertain as to what is driving their symptoms and what is adversely impacting their lives. Learn the cause to influence the outcome.

In order to change the issues that keep you stuck, you have to know what they are first.

Daniel J. Fox, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and a multi-award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment and assessment of individuals with personality disorders for over 15 years in the state and federal prison system, universities, and in private practice. His specialty areas include personality disorders, ethics, burnout prevention, and emotional intelligence.

He has published several articles in these areas and is the author of:

Complex Borderline Personality Disorder: How Coexisting Conditions Affect Your BPD and How You Can Gain Emotional Balance. Available at:

Thank you for your attention and I hope you enjoy my videos and find them helpful and subscribe. I always welcome topic suggestions and comments.

[discon_csert]

When I was in high school I was dealing with the incarceration of my abusive father and through truancy court, was referred to a therapist. The therapist told me she believed I has PTSD. I thought that was a weird call. I didn't relate to any of the symptoms, none of the support groups were ever for people who experienced prolonged abuse, usually PTSD groups were advertised as being for veterans.

Back then, I thought my dad had bipolar disorder- later he was in therapy while incarcerated where he was told he had PTSD from his dad's abuse.

In adult life, I went back to therapy for major depressive disorder. I was told by this therapist she believed I had bipolar disorder or had BPD. I started to research both and while BPD seemed much more plausible than bipolar disorder, I found C-PTSD in a small section reading about BPD titled "commonly misdiagnosed as".

I have never felt like I did in that moment. I cried from feeling like I understood myself. I felt like for the first time in my life everything made sense.

That was a very profound moment for me.

[thevansickelherps]

As someone with PTSD, C-PTSD and BPD, this video was great! I identified with so much of it! I also really appreciate the differentiations between the 3. This video is helpful for both people diagnosed and family and friends of those people who want to better understand the root of these conditions and how they individually operate and interact with one another.

[cindybriden]

I went through about 5 different therapists and each one gave me a different diagnosis. One said I was Borderline, one said I had schizophrenia, one told me I was manic depressive, one told me I was severely depressed and had anxiety, another one even told me I had multiple personalities disorder which is currently called Dissociative Identity Disorder. Each one wanted to put me on a different pill(s) that would help me with whatever they labeled me of having. After each label I was given I would go to the library (no computers back then so I had to do it the old fashioned way) and research the hell out of out of that label but non of them (the labels) seemed to really describe what it was I was going through. I would go back to my therapist(s) and tell them that what I was going through did not match up with the symptoms I was having. And all of them did agree on two things, 1) I was severely depressed and didn't want to admit to myself of what I was dealing with 2) The fact that I am denying the diagnosis means that I do have it because what we deny the most is what we need the most to work on 3) "You have to trust "me" because I have had over 20 years of blah blah" With the therapist who said I had depression I did take an anti-depression pill which made me really depressed to the point that I wanted to kill myself after just a week of having been put on it. So I stopped because I knew that if I took one more pill I would not want to live anymore. I told my therapist and she advised me that I need to keep taking them which I refused. Which brings me up to another point that all therapists agreed on, 4) If I don't take medication I will have no hope of healing and/or "If you don't take medication then there's no sense in me treating you as you cannot heal, or at least manage your symptoms, without meds." Still I would not take meds especially after my experience of taking antidepressants.

I knew something was going on, like feeling stressed in situations that weren't stressful, the nightmares, the strong feelings I was feeling that seemed out of place and inappropriate in a certain situations like being angry when I was in a relationship when I should have been happy and other symptoms. I knew if I could just find the right therapist that wasn't a pill pusher then I could heal. FINALLY!! Finally, the 6th therapist I went to diagnosed me with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. And BINGO!! The heavens opened up and the birds were singing. This was when I began to heal. She did recommend me taking some pills but I refused but she still treated me anyway. By the way, I told her what the other 5 therapists labeled me and she said that there was no way those labels were true in my case. In fact she was shocked when I told her especially the split personality one. You see, I wasn't having split personality I was remembering bits and pieces of my past but I wasn't getting the whole memory and the therapist said that I was remembering another personality. So crazy!!

Anyway, great information in this video and spot on too!! Dr. Fox, the information in your videos is not just for people struggling with the issues you describe in any of your videos, it's also great information for any therapist because some of them just don't know and there is so much mis-diagnosis that people are blindly believing whatever therapists tell them because the therapist knows more then the client because the therapist has "20 years blah blah"

I would love for you to do a video on how symptoms are misdiagnosed. How does a person know if they are getting the right diagnosis when they first start going to a therapist and before they slam you with medication?

With that all said, great job on the video!! Thank you!!!!

[topazblahblah]

🤔 How many with BPD also suffer with complex PTSD? That must be like living in literal hell.

[Portia]

I have complex PTSD and not one therapist told me I was being abused or in a dangerous relationship would mess me up and my kids and my family protected the abuser too! I do my own healing and research now becsuse the system is broken and wrong! It’s sad but I have come to the conclusion that the system wants money and not health wether we are speaking of mental or physical medicine! It’s to keep us sick not fixing!

[ramonaklassen]

This video is an eye opener. The one trauma that I was reminded of still haunts me to this day. When in a car with my dad at the wheel, he always threatened to kill me. He thought it was funny, but I was scared to death so to speak. To this day, it's hard for me to be in a car with anyone. I fear something will happen to me. When I drive myself, this isn't so bad because I feel in control. So what I do is tell the people who are driving, my fears of being in a car. Some understand, some don't, and others think I'm crazy. But this is me and how I take care of myself not to be triggered.
Thank you Dr. Fox for such great insight.

[chrysanthemum]

“Broken, dirty and incomplete. . .” Yep. Oh, Dr. Fox - what a blessing you are for us. The only real help and comfort I’ve had for years has come from you. Maximum love and gratitude always. ❤️🙏🏻

[silvaamanda]

I was miss diagnostic w BDP. I’m a burn survivor. I survived a propane explosion. Finally my doctor diagnostic me w c ptsd. Thank you so much for your video

[c.cammilli]

Thank you so much, my psychiatrist doesn't take my PTSD seriously and it's really severe... happy new year, Dr. Fox!

[tonnaloach]

😞 I just want to feel normal and be able to trust what I’m feeling and know who I am… thanks for the video, Dr Fox

[mystrose]

Thank you Dr. Fox, this was very helpful to me. I have all 9 BPD traits, schizoaffective disorder with MDD and PTSD. I am definitely going to buy your book and just want to tell you that since I started watching your videos, I have learned so much about BPD and myself. Thank you so very much.

[amynaddra]

I have CPTSD and BPD. The workbook was so helpful. I want to order the new version. Wow! I didn’t realize that I have complex BPD. I’ve been having nightmares almost nightly. I also decided to journal about my multiple traumas over my life. A few years back I did EMDR for 8 months. It was intense but I did it right after my husband died. The therapist decided to stop because it was too much. Now I really do well with your workbooks. Thank you so much.

[josoffat]

This is very helpful, I have official dignosis of Complex PTSD with high borderline traits. It's still very confussing to me but this video definitely makes things a little more clear. Thank you 👍PS OMG, "If we don't know what we are dealing with, how can we know how to deal with it?" was my mantra to push for a diagnosis! It shocked me hear you say that!

[ashleyboyd]

literally sitting here crying after a rage episode. helped me learn more. Im really thankful for your videos. All of us are

[suekelsey]

With your help along with talking to my therapist about this is moving me forward to my better self. Thank you again.
My complexities are compounded with a brain injury when six years old. From A plus to a D minus student overnight. Turning 69 years old next month. Just now starting to figure out some things.

[SS-dytk]

This video is a blessing but living with BPD and CPTSD is a curse. I am trying my best to navigate and heal from a lifelong struggle and recent realization that these disorders are the reason I am now at 58 years old self aware and committed to healing but I am so very exhausted… I don’t know how much longer I can continue with hope that I will ever heal I have very little support from others. This is very difficult to navigate alone thank you for this channel and four I hope particular like literally in the very moment I am watching this when I can barely lift my head up and face the day from fear of triggers facing them it’s just too much sometimes particularly without consistent professional help and love and support of others. The best way I can explain my exhaustion from it is like treading water in a tsunami or constantly swimming upstream at some point you wonder how much longer can you keep your head above water.

[discon_csert]

I'm so happy you're talking about all of this

[boogie]

I appreciate you and all of your videos. I do wish that more therapists would watch your videos for insight. I’m lucky that I have a therapist who specializes in BPD but all of the therapists before her (even those specializing in personality disorders) need to learn so much more about BPD and it’s causes as a whole. Thank you so much for everything. Happy New Years!

[stariadreamtea]

I have C-ptsd, OCD and severe autoimmune chronic illness . I'm an intellectual who is now dependent on a carer because I'm so physically and emotionally suffering. My undeserving beliefs come in the form of mystical thinking and karma. As a kind person I can't wrap my head around the intense suffering so it was easy for me to buy New Age guilt trips about past life karma or victim blame. I've healed a lot, but being physically disabled hampers my ability to do happy and constructive things to impact mood. I love exercise but often I'm so ill I need a shower seat to bathe...so I don't get to do what I want. It's not empowering.

[gennipherlot]

This video was very enlightening. I have C-PTSD, rapis cycling bipolar 1 and 2, BPD, severe anxiety and depression. I also suffer from a lot of serious physical disabilities too. It is very difficult to get motivated. I can't remember much of my past but I can remember feelings. It's like being afraid of the dark all day. I appreciate the way you explained these diagnosis. It has helped me understand myself so much better. Thank you