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I'm wondering what the difference is between Reactive attachment disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder? Does anyone know? I grew up with what I now recognize as a mom with severe BPD behaviors. I didn't know what was going on till my best friend in college who was diagnosed as BPD displayed almost all of the same characteristics. Sadly I tried for years to deal with the both my friends and my moms behaviors but once I came to a place in my life where I decided that NOBODY had any excuse to abuse and mistreat me I had to sever both relationships. It took me a LONG time to be able to sever the relationships has I had become a caretaker in both and felt terribly guilty for "abandoning" them but it came to a point where I had been so traumatized by their behaviors that I just couldn't be a healthy person AND maintain relationships with them. BPD and RAD both seem to manifest in ultra manipulation. With BPD I think the sufferer actually believes that their version of reality is consistent with what is really happening and that can make the people they have relationships with question if they themselves are crazy. Both BPD and RAD seems to result in the I-hate-yous-dont-leave-me's....both pulling a person close to them selves while simultaneously doing everything in their power to make that person abandon them. Both BPD and RAD sufferers are more than okay with hurting themselves. I think self mutilation is common in both but maybe for different reasons??? Both form really fast intimate relationships with virtual strangers over and over and over again only to quickly sabotage the relationship a few weeks/month later. So what I am wondering is if BPD is just the diagnosis people get when they were not diagnosed with RAD as a child. Both my mother and my x-best friend were abused as children and I believe their coping strategies were a result of that. Is there anybody who is familiar with both issues who can chime in here to explain to me the similarities/differences?
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My understanding is that BPD is unhealed RAD. Lets face it - its basically the same. A personality disorder cannot "technically" be diagnosed until the person is 18. My daughter, age 14, is severe RAD. Although all professionals agree that she is BPD, her diagnosis says "Borderline traits". You are right - read the list of symptoms for each and they match.
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Lorraine123
My understanding is that BPD is unhealed RAD. Lets face it - its basically the same. A personality disorder cannot "technically" be diagnosed until the person is 18. My daughter, age 14, is severe RAD. Although all professionals agree that she is BPD, her diagnosis says "Borderline traits". You are right - read the list of symptoms for each and they match.
Our 2 year old is RAD and her mother is BPD. I've always worried that the 2 year old will develop BPD because she already does so many things that follow BPD, and I know there is some evidence of hereditary link. We have a great therapist and have come a long way already. I feel better knowing that RAD and BPD look the same - I didn't know that before.
What evidence is ther for BPD and RAD being hereditary? RAD is not an organic disorder resulting from a medical condition. RAD is the direct result of severe abuse and/or neglect. BPD is unhealed RAD in an adult as was previously mentioned. At best, you could say that a parent with BPD could continue the cycle of abuse and neglect and the child could end up with it as a result. However, I don't think you can say that there's a chance that a child born of a parent with BPD could inherit the condition like they could with their eye color or many medical conditions.
What evidence is ther for BPD and RAD being hereditary? RAD is not an organic disorder resulting from a medical condition. RAD is the direct result of severe abuse and/or neglect. BPD is unhealed RAD in an adult as was previously mentioned.
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Okay, it totally makes sense to me now! Same disorder, different life stages. I think most mental illnesses are subject to at least a degree of genetic predisposition as a PP stated. Anxiety, depression, Bi-polar, etc would all surely increase the risk of developing BPD. :( And the key factor about the cycle of abuse/neglect that leads to the RAD that leads to the BPD etc makes a LOT of sense. So, there is this thing called DBT (dialectic behavioral therapy) that is especially designed to help people with BPD (although it helps with other mental illnesses too.) I wonder why I have never heard of DBT being used on RAD kids??? The kid would have to be old enough to participate in the program and that requires and element of wanting life to suck less which maybe doesn't come till later, but.... So, several of you mentioned "unhealed RAD" or "untreated RAD" do you mean to suggest that kids actually CAN be healed of RAD? Do they learn to form attachments then?? I ask because I'm currently in school for social work and will be going to school for my RN afterwards and for a while was considering eventually working with kids who have attachment disorders but was really disheartened when the mom who I nannied for (whose children were adopted from foster care and who has her Masters in Psychology/Counseling) That children cant/don't recover from RAD...So can they? Do they?
SomebodiesMama
So, there is this thing called DBT (dialectic behavioral therapy) that is especially designed to help people with BPD (although it helps with other mental illnesses too.) I wonder why I have never heard of DBT being used on RAD kids??? The kid would have to be old enough to participate in the program and that requires and element of wanting life to suck less which maybe doesn't come till later, but....
I have used DBT as well with teens but not younger. The skills DBT teaches are those that we typically develop in our teens and early 20s if raised in healthy environments. While some of the same behaviors are seen at earlier ages and some of the skills can be taught to younger ones, some others are harder to grasp for kids. I've seen it do some amazing things with folks.
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