QUESTION:

I have been all over the website for hours now and am still unsure if I may have bpd or if I am just a bad person. I will keep this as brief as possible. I am not even sure how to put my problem into words.

I have suffered anorexia as a teenager but have had no other problems with that since. I am a 28 yr. old wife and mother of two. I have self-destructive behaviors of that I am sure. I experience anxiety attacks, asthma, and shortness of breath. I have a problem trusting my husband since he had an affair 3 yrs. ago. I get anxious when things are going too well---I am always waiting for my world to collapse. However, that is justified because I am always doing things that could result in just that. I have a problem with money; I will write checks that I know are bad but will justify in my mind doing it anyway, I have stolen from my mother and my husband, all these things I can justify to myself and can't really explain to anyone else.

I always think I am sick; when my husband cheated on me I was convinced I had HIV. I can never seem to get enough sleep and always feel exhausted yet I am fairly active. I have a really bad temper and then after I "go off" I can't recall what was so bad enough to entail that type of response. There is so much more but I know to keep this brief. Basically, Could I possibly have this disorder or am I just a bad person?

DR. HELLER'S ANSWER:

In general "bad people" don't recognize themselves as that, and if those behaviors aren't due to a medical problem you can change them.

The BPD does fit what you described, but not all. It's extremely unusual for the BPD to exist by itself. Panic disorder, the generalized anxiety disorder, and attention deficit disorder could all be a part of this, as could other diagnoses. To get the kind of life you want you need them all treated and become a happy, successful person.

I'd recommend Ziglar's tapes - listed at the top of this section.

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