Introduction

[Our abuse recovery guide]

I found your site about a year ago but just now decided to join.  I was having a discussion with another family member and referred them to this site, which prompted me to join. I am 45 and I have an older sibling (49 years) with personality disorder, the diagnosis came from a Psych evaluation at an emergency room visit 3 years ago but I wasn't told the type of PD.  It was the first time I had heard the term so I didn't know enough to ask what type.  My sibling does not accept the diagnosis.  Nevertheless, I have found the information on the site very helpful.

[calisis]

I found your site about a year ago but just now decided to join.  I was having a discussion with another family member and referred them to this site, which prompted me to join. I am 45 and I have an older sibling (49 years) with personality disorder, the diagnosis came from a Psych evaluation at an emergency room visit 3 years ago but I wasn't told the type of PD.  It was the first time I had heard the term so I didn't know enough to ask what type.  My sibling does not accept the diagnosis.  Nevertheless, I have found the information on the site very helpful.

[Vindi]

  glad to have you join Calisis and for working on the issues with your older sibling.  Has your sibiling been diagnosed also of having BPD? I see that they do not accept the PD, how do you feel about that?

why not check out these links:

Video-What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

The Symptoms and Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder [NEW]

Helping a loved one with BPD seek treatment

please keep posting & know you are not alone.

[Being Mindful]

Hi calisis,

I too want to stop by and welcome you!  

I'm glad you are looking for information here on this site. There is a ton of knowledge here for sure. Vindi gave you some really good links to get you started.

Has your sibling always suffered with mental health issues or PD?

Looking forward to hearing more.

Being Mindful

[calisis]

Vindi,

Unfortunately, I was only told that my sister "has some mild depression & anxiety stemming from personality disorder" so we don't have a BPD diagnosis or any specific type of PD for that matter.  That said, the information on this website including the links you provided, is spot on.  On the other hand, when reading the brief descriptions of PD types on the Mayo Clinic's website www.mayoclinic.com/health/personality-disorders/DS00562/DSECTION=symptoms I would say Histrionic & Dependent types fit best, and maybe Avoidance and some signs of Borderline.  So all these types and terms are a little confusing to me. The article on Helping a Loved One, including the linked article by Xavier Amador, was helpful except Amador's suggestion to use the phrase "I understand how you feel" - in actuality I don't think there's any way I can truly understand how she feels and making that kind of statement is a little scary to me, like I may be giving an invitation for her to manipulate me.  In regards to how I feel about her not accepting the PD diagnosis, it makes me sad and her/our struggle plagues me, especially now that we are older and we only have 1 parent left, I feel the burden is now on me to make sure she's o.k. and I have concerns about her child.

Being Mindful,

From my perspective, my sister has had the kinds of signs/symptoms described on this site for as long as I can remember, or something akin to these signs & symptoms, but there was never a mental illness diagnosis, our parents just knew she had low self-esteem.  As an adult, she sought help on her own for depression.